Crazy criminal
by Ragna ICEland
Summary: An unknown criminal is ‘making mess’ in Bayport. Frank and Joe help the police to find the criminal and try to tackle their personal argues, but can they do that…UPDATED AND FINISHED!
1. The nightlifefanclub

Hardy boyz fanfiction. Crazy criminal.  
  
Summary: An unknown criminal is 'making mess' in Bayport. Frank and Joe help the police to find the criminal and try to tackle their personal argues, but can they do that.  
  
WARNING! Children under 12 should not read this it might give them bad ideas!  
  
Crazy criminal: 1.chapter: Nightlifefanclub.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters you know but I probably own the ones you don't know.  
  
This is my first Hardy boys fanfic but I've made many in my mind without writing them down, say what you want to say and be very honest.  
  
Now read on, read on, and review, please.  
  
'Hi, have we met before?'Joe asked the pretty girl sitting beside him.  
  
-'I'm not sure, have we?' the girl asked in the same flirting tone as Joe.  
  
They smiled at each other. The music was very loud in there, in the most popular nightclub in Bayport: the Nightlifefanclub.  
  
'Tony! A drink here, please!' Joe shouted at his friend who was working there.  
  
Tony Prito came to him. 'Well, well. You got over Vanessa so soon? The same..?'  
  
'..As usually and my friend here wants.?' Joe turned to the girl.  
  
'Just the same as you, thanks' she said.  
  
Tony poured a drink from a bottle into two glasses. 'There you go'.  
  
'Friend of yours?' the girl asked. Joe nodded. ' Yeah. We haven't been introduced yet' he said.  
  
'I know who you are'she said,'You're Joe Hardy, right?' Joe nodded again.  
  
'You know, you kinda remind me of my last girlfriend' he said and looked down on her body.  
  
The girl laughed 'Oh, that's attractive'  
  
-'Was that a wrong thing to say?'  
  
-'Sort of, yeah'  
  
-'I'm sorry, we just broke up, it hurts' Joe bit his tounge, why was he telling her that,'But not much' he added.  
  
The girl smiled and moved closer to him 'Maybe I can comfort you in some way.' ----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Frank stood outside the Nightlifefanclub. He was trying to get ready to go in there, it was a nightmare. How could Joe stay in there for about 5-8 hours every weekend. And of course Frank was sent to pick him up.Who else would do it?  
  
He took a deep breath and went in. What a great victory!  
  
The noise from the so-called music almost blowed Frank's ears. He couldn't see anything but peoble 'dancing' and moving fast to the beat of the music. Nightlifefans, Frank didn't like them, not at all.  
  
'This is madness' he thought.  
  
Suddenly he felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned around.  
  
'Hey, bro. Went looking for me?' Joe was standing there (unsteady) with a smile on his face.  
  
'I was forced to' Frank answered, 'Where were you?'  
  
'Oh.er, that doesn't matter'Joe said and looked down but he almost fell. Frank grasp him.  
  
'Jesus Christ, you smell terrible, you must take a shower. Look at you, can hardly stand on your feet' Frank complained 'Let's get you out of here'.  
  
'Can't believe you're 21 years old' he thought.  
  
It was a major problem to get Joe into the car because suddenly he just dropped and passed out.  
  
'Why me?'Frank said to himself and looked up to the sky.  
  
Before he could go into the car he heard a siren. Two police cars stopped in front of the nightclub. Erza Colling stepped out with a serious look on his face.  
  
Frank got really curious. 'Erza? What's going on?'  
  
Colling looked at him. 'Hello, Frank. Somebody called and said there was a body in there'.  
  
-'A body?' Frank repeated.  
  
Colling nodded. 'What are you doing here, anyway.'  
  
-'I had to pick up Joe' Frank said.  
  
-'I see.do you think he noticed anything?'Colling asked.  
  
-'I doubt it, he is SO drunk. Actually he's passed out.'  
  
-'Well, I'll talk to him tomorrow' Colling said. He went past Frank and into the club where a lot of people had gathered.  
  
Frank saw a police officer catechize Tony Prito. Then he went into the car and drove home.  
  
Hope you like it, please review and be honest... Was it too short? Thanks, Ragna, Iceland ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- 


	2. The interrogation

2. chapter: The interrogation Diva and halo, thank you so much for your reviews! I hope I won't disapoint you. I'm sorry if there are any spelling or grammar errors and I hope this is understandable if there are many.  
  
I don't know how it happened but for some reason I could only accept reviews from signed users but now I changded it so everybody can review, which I hope you do. Nicole Burton, thanks for your help though you won't read this! And I also want to thank my english teacher and my best friend Maria. Without them this story wouldn't be here, thank you! --------------------------------------------------------- '19 years old Sarah Cline was murdered in the nightclub Nightlifefanclub last night. She had been strangeled, the police has no evidents yet but is working on it. One of her friends found her dead on the woman's toilet. Sarah was William and Rose Cline's daugther but William Cline is the director of the Needle-eye factory which produces the most of the Bayport police's equipment.'  
  
The Hardy family was listening to the morningnews on the radio. Joe had a headache after the night.  
  
'Who would do such a thing?'Lauren Hardy asked terrified.  
  
'There are many who would such a thing, I'm afraid'Fenton Hardy answered.  
  
'There's nothing left in this world but criminals' Gertrude said and frowned.  
  
'Really? Am I a criminal? Is dad a criminal? Or Frank? OR YOU?!'Joe asked and grinned.  
  
-'Don't give me that, young man. You're lucky it wasn't you instead of that girl.'his aunt answered.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
'I'll get it' Mrs. Hardy said went out of the kitchen to open the doors. It was Frank. He lived in an apartment downtown. His parents didn't think it was good for Joe to move out before he learned to control his drinking and out-goings.  
  
'Hey there, everyone! Joe, you OK?' Frank asked his brother.  
  
Joe nodded. 'Yeah, sure.'  
  
-'Colling was going to come by and ask you some questions, do you mind?' Frank said.  
  
-'Don't give a shit. I can't remember anything, anyway'Joe said 'God, I was so drunk..'  
  
-'It happens' Fenton said and frowned behind the newspaper. He was not happy about his son's hobbies.  
  
The doorbell rang again.  
  
'I'll get it mum, probably Colling' Frank said.  
  
He was right.  
  
'Good morning!'Colling said as he entered the kitchen.  
  
-'Morning, Colling. Coffee?'Mrs. Hardy asked.  
  
-'Yes, please.'  
  
'You don't have anything at all?' Fenton asked.  
  
Colling knew what he meant. 'Nothing, no fingerprints or anything.'  
  
-'Need help?' Fenton asked.  
  
-'Maybe, I'll let you know' Colling said,' you didn't noticed anything, Frank?'  
  
'No' Frank answered.  
  
'Well then. Joe, I have a couple of questions for you, is that OK?' Colling turned to Joe.  
  
Joe nodded. 'Shoot'  
  
Colling took a pen and a paperblock from his pocket.  
  
'When did you came there?'  
  
-'About 8:30'Joe answered.  
  
-'How was the feeling in there then?'  
  
-'Pretty wild.'  
  
-'Were there any fights?'  
  
-'I don't think so but I'm not sure.'  
  
-'You're not sure? Well, what were you doing?'  
  
-'I was dancing and drinking and acting like crazy.'  
  
-'All the time?'  
  
-'No, I took a few breaks and went to the bar to talk to Tony. Hey, I'm not suspected, am I?' Joe asked nervously.  
  
Colling smiled. 'Of course not. Something else?'  
  
-'I met a very nice girl, we talked and I offered her a drink.'  
  
-'Her name was.?'  
  
-'I don't know Colling. Old times are over, we don't walk to them, bend over, ask their names and ask them ti dance. You just don't do that.'  
  
-'Ok, ok, describe her, please.'  
  
-'I think she was dark haired, she had long, beautiful legs and green.or were they brown?-eyes.'  
  
Colling stopped writing. 'Er, Joe, I think you're describing your last girlfriend. What was her name again, Vanessa?'  
  
-'You're right' Joe said embarrassed.  
  
-'What did you and this girl do then?'  
  
-'There are a few bedrooms upstairs, we went there. Want details?'  
  
'NO, WE DON'T!' Fenton shouted,' That's quite enough for me.'  
  
Frank, Lauren and Gertrude all nodded, obviously agree.  
  
'No, thanks Joe. But you heard any fights or argues there?' Colling asked.  
  
Joe thought for a moment. 'I was a little too "busy" to notice that.'  
  
Frank frowned 'Stop it, Joe. Honestly.I need to puke.' ---------------------------------------------------------------- This is very boring and unexciting, I know. But I promise I'll bring some action in it very soon. I have decided to keep a little rule. I will not update until I 've had at least 2 reviews and I have already written a few chapters so if someone like this I can update everyday but if nobody likes it I'll probably remove it so you MUST review(I don't care about flames). ---------------------------------------------------------------- 


	3. Action!

3. chapter: Action!  
  
Everyone, who reviewed, thank you!!!! Well, here's chapter 3. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -  
  
Frank, Joe and Fenton Hardy all stepped out of Frank's car outside the Nightlifefanclub. The building was very ugly in the daylight. There were no windows on the 1st floor but there were some windows on the 2nd floor where the bedrooms were. The place had once been a small hotel, that was the reason for the bedrooms.  
  
'Don't you think it's strange to see it in daylight?' Joe asked and looked upon the mudbrown stonewalls.  
  
His brother and father mumbled something uninteressted.  
  
Joe signed. They were never interessted in what he said, maybe he shouldn't have take it personally but it happened often. Too often.  
  
Inside was a lot going on. The police, with other speciallists, was checking out the house, for the 1000th time. At least.  
  
The Hardys met Colling at the bar.  
  
'I was waiting for you, guys. Show what you got'he said.  
  
And they started to investigate. They weren't really doing anything the police hadn't already done but they were hoping they would find something they had not seen.  
  
'Where exactly was she found?' Frank asked one of the men in the danceroom. He was talking about Sarah Cline, of course.  
  
The man took him to the toilets. That was not pretty. It was very uncleaned. Aunt Gertrude would have heart attack if she would seen this place. There was toilet paper everywhere floading over the dustbins. And the mirrowrs, the walls and the toiletdoors were covered with lipstick. Frank couldn't help it, he laughed.  
  
'Joe!'he called.  
  
His brother came. 'What?'he asked.  
  
'Take a look' Frank said smiling the smile that Joe hated, the bigbro smile. It was like he was reminding him of that he was younger and Frank was more grown and bla, bla, bla.  
  
But he looked at the mirrowrs. He gaped. There were pretty many 'Joe +' some girls who had written their names after the +.  
  
-'Come on,'Joe said,' I'm outta here.'  
  
-'No, you're not. This is the place were the girl was killed and we're going to find some clues about it.'  
  
There was a yellow ribbon across the toiletdoors where Sarah Cline was found. Frank stepped over it. There wasn't space enough for two men in there. But there was nothing to see. Frank used some tools to find fingerprints. That didn't work of course, there were so many fingerprints all across each other from the 'customers' of the toilet. He gave the dustbin over his shoulder to Joe.  
  
'Here, check this out.'  
  
Joe frowned but nodded. He wasn't surprised. Of course Frank made him dig in the dustbin. Frank's holy hands couldn't touch the garbage. Oh, no.  
  
He put on leathergloves and pulled the bag out of the dustbin. Then he started to look at the things that girls throwed away. Mostly old periodpads. Joe almost threw up over Frank's head. It smelled awful. He also found dry toilet paper which had dryed after being thrown away, after crying out guys like Joe. Then he found a piece of paper where his name and cell phone number was written. He removed it. Why was everything covered with his name?  
  
'There's nothing ineressting here, bro'he said to Frank.  
  
'Fine,'he answered. He took the dustbin back and put it where it was.  
  
Joe grinned behind his brother.  
  
'Hey, Frankie?'he said.  
  
'Yes?' Frank turned around.  
  
Used periodpad flew over his head.  
  
'JOE! That's disgusting. Man, you're going to pay for this.' he stepped over the ribbon. His brother wasn't in there. ---------------------------------------------------------- Joe ran out of the toilet. He didn't think this was funny, he hoped the pad would hit Frank's face. He was very angry without knowing why.well, almost.  
  
He ran into Erza Colling where he was talking in his cell phone.  
  
'.we'll be right there, yes. All right, goodbye.'  
  
Joe looked curiously at him. 'What was that?'he asked.  
  
'The doctor. We need to go to the mortuary right away,'Colling answered, 'Are you allright?'  
  
Joe nodded. 'Where's dad?'  
  
-'I don't know.oh, yes. There he is'  
  
Fenton Hardy came downstairs. 'Nothing' he said.  
  
-'Not in the toilet either,'Frank said as he came to them. He sent his brother an evil look.  
  
Joe grinned back.  
  
'All right. Let's go now,' Colling said.  
  
Colling and Fenton went out first, then Frank and Joe was last.  
  
When they came out a gunfire began.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - O, o. What's going to happen? You'll find out later, when I'm in the mood. Prehaps after two months.just kidding. I'll update as soon as I can. Enjoy, and review. ----------------------------------------------------------- 


	4. Sleeping Beauty

4. chapter: Sleeping beauty. I totally forgot to thank the dictionary for it's help, though it probably doesn't care. And dear Meera thank you for your pointing outs, I'll sure try to make my mistakes right (I had no idea. The names were translated in other way in Iceland, I just guessed their real names). Thank you. And to anonymous 327 I'm very sorry but it's part of it to make Joe like that, besides he's 21 in the story not 17. And the same to cutiepie, though she won't read this. And this about CollIG he didn't suspect Joe, he was only trying to get some clues from him, that's all...Wait, thank you for the review, I understand that you may not be use to something like that..I hope I didn't offend someone else terribly much like cutiepie. ------------------------------------------------------------------ CollIG and Fenton were quick to react. They pulled Frank and Joe back in and took up their pistols, just in case.  
  
There were many police officers out there in danger. They tried to take cover behind the police's cars. But the one who was shooting was in a small helicopter so there was no way out, and the helicopter was bullet proof and the balls from the police's gun leaked off. But still he or her was a terrible gunner. Or he, or her, wasn't trying to kill anyone because the balls didn't hit anybody. Until one man fell. Blood streamed from his chest.  
  
After a while the gunfire stopped. Everything was quiet. The helicopter flew away. Everybody ran to the man who was shot.  
  
'Harper, James? Can you hear me?!' ColliIG asked terrified. He put his finger on James's neck. No heartbeat.  
  
Everybody was upset. Frank and Joe leaned against the wall of the building.  
  
An ambulance came and moved James's Harper body away.  
  
'Did anyone see what kind of helicopter this was?' Joe suddenly asked out of nowhere.  
  
'No, Joe. That's not exactly what we were thinking about' Fenton said and looked at CollIG. He was very sad. James Harper had been a relative to him.  
  
'I wonder what was the point of that' Frank said.  
  
'Who knows?' his father answered.  
  
'The one who did it' Joe suggested.  
  
'How clever Joe, I never would've thought of that' Frank said with a cold voice.  
  
-'Well, I didn't think so.'  
  
-'Guys, this is not the right time to fight' Fenton cut in.  
  
The brothers looked each other in the eyes.  
  
'Well, we should get going' Ezra CollIG(ok, I think everyone get my point of this now) said and blinked his eyes to keep the tears away. -------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A white table on wheels was placed in the middle of the room. A beautiful girl laid on it, naked. Her body was very pale. Her blue eyes were staring at nothing. This was the body of Sarah Cline. Five men stood in a circle around the table. They were: Ezra Collig, Fenton, Frank and Joe Hardy, and dr. Miller.  
  
Everybody was very serious looking, Except Joe who felt a little strange looking at the naked, dead girl in front of him. After all Joe was Joe. But he knew this girl, though he didn't tell anyone about it.  
  
He just stood there silent and pretended to be listening to the doctor.  
  
'She wasn't murdered on the toilet. She has been moved from some place to the toilet. She was not raped, thank God, and her muscles show that she tried to resist but the murderer was stronger. She also has blood under her fingernail and it isn't hers. I guess it was a man, she was in a good shape' dr. Miller explained.  
  
'How do we connect this to the attack this morning?' Frank asked.  
  
'I have no idea' Fenton answered. He noticed that Joe looked at the body.  
  
'Do you know her, son?' he asked.  
  
Joe looked up. He shook his head.  
  
'No, I don't.'  
  
Frank watched him closely, knowing he was lying but said nothing. ------------------------------------------------------------  
  
On the way out of the mortuary Frank whispered to his father:  
  
'Dad, Joe was lying. He knows.knew.the girl.'  
  
-'Yes, Frank I know. Maybe you didn't noticed it but he's my son and I know him too' Fenton answered.  
  
-'Why didn't you say anything?'  
  
-'He didn't want me to.'  
  
-'So?'  
  
Fenton stopped. 'So? You wouldn't have wanted me to either. He probably thinks that the police would bother him, stop worrying about it.'  
  
Frank stared after his father. He felt someone standing behind him.  
  
Joe watched his brother and father whisper and he was pretty sure what they were whispering about.  
  
Two men came in with a barrow between them. There was a white cover on the barrow.  
  
The brothers moved away from the doors.  
  
BEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!  
  
Fenton Hardy pushed the hooter.  
  
'Guys, are you coming?'  
  
Frank and Joe went into the car and Frank drove his father and Joe home.  
  
That was a long day. -------------------------------------------------------------- Is this ok? If someone doesn't understand that I said that the story isn't suitable for kids under 12 then I'll explain. I was working on a school project about children and violence in TV and the affection it has on them, I know these are only words but still.and it's also because of some scenes, but I doubt that someone under 12 read this, however, review please. Ragna, ICE(land). 


	5. At Cline's

Chapter. 5 At Cline's.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------ To wait: The reason I always wrote CollIG you can find in the review from Meera. Bullet, balls, whatever I'll change that, of course I didn't mean anyone to shoot the 'body balls' from a gun, oops! Thanks for the review. To Halo: Thank you for your review too and I'll try to explain things better.  
  
Just so you all know, Frank and Joe are 22 and 21 years old. They're NOT two innocent school kids, they're MEN or Frank, at least. ---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'What do we do today?' Joe asked at lunchtime.  
  
'Well, I'm going to have a little chat with the nightclub's owner and I was wondering if you and Frank could.thanks, Gertrude. could go to Mr. Cline, how does that sound?'  
  
'Fine, but must I, can't Frank do it alone?' Joe asked.  
  
'Are you busy?' Fenton asked back.  
  
-'Well, no but.'  
  
-'What is it with the two of you, anyway?'  
  
-'I guess we're just going different ways in life, you know'  
  
Fenton nodded. That made sense.  
  
'Are you going with Frank?' he asked.  
  
Joe sighed. 'All right, whatever.'  
  
'Mum! Can I borrow your car?' Joe asked Lauren.  
  
-'Of course, just drive carefully. You know where the keys are..'  
  
-'Yeah, mum. Bye!'  
  
Joe took the keys and went out.  
  
His mother had a small red car which Joe drove when he had to travel with someone but when he was alone he rode his motorcycle.  
  
Joe stopped the car in front of the block where his brother lived.  
  
He didn't ring the doorbell. He had locksmith to make a key to Franks apartment without Frank knowing to surprise him.  
  
Joe went up on the 5th floor where Frank's apartment was. He put his ear against the door. He heard a sigh and then a sound when something fell on the floor. He put the key carefully into the keyhole and turned it. He opened the door without making a sound and went in.  
  
He heard the water from the shower. He froze when he heard a woman's voice and it was not Callie's. Oops! He went quickly into the kitchen.  
  
'Frank?' The woman asked. Joe had heard this voice before but he couldn't remember where. Strange.  
  
'I'm in the shower!' Frank yelled.  
  
'Ok, do you have something to eat?' the woman asked.  
  
'You can look in the fridge' Frank said from the shower.  
  
Joe heard footsteps. He was in trouble. Oh, well. There was nothing to do about it.  
  
The woman came into the kitchen. Joe knew who she was before she saw him. She was going to say something but Joe jumped to her and held his hand over her mouth.  
  
'Hush,' Joe smiled, 'Hi, Nancy. There's been a long time.'  
  
He let go of her.  
  
'Joe! What was that about? Don't you know how to knock .how did you get in?' Nancy Drew asked.  
  
'I have my ways,' Joe said and felt very cool.  
  
-'Joe, you scared me' Nancy said.  
  
-'Sorry, but you scared me too. I didn't even know you were in town. I haven't seen you in ages.'  
  
Actually Joe wasn't sorry at all. He was having fun now.  
  
'What are you doing here?' he asked.  
  
'I actually came to see Frank,' Nancy answered and blushed, she didn't like the way that Joe was looking at her.  
  
Joe smiled. He was enjoying this conversation very much.  
  
'Wow. You must really like him,' he said and looked deep in her eyes.  
  
Nancy looked away.  
  
Frank came into the kitchen with a towel wrapped around the middle.  
  
'Hey, what's going on?' he asked, 'Oh, hi Joe. When did you come? No, wait. How did you get in here? I didn't hear the doorbell.'  
  
-'It was open,' Joe lied.  
  
Frank and Nancy stared at him.  
  
'WHAT?!' they both shouted. They looked at each other and blushed.  
  
'Are you sure?' Nancy asked.  
  
Joe grinned. 'How did I get in if no one opened for me?'  
  
'Well, did you want something?' Frank asked.  
  
'Oh, no dear Frank. You won't get away with this so easily' Joe thought to himself.  
  
He smiled. 'I didn't know you broke up with Callie.when did that happened?'  
  
Frank suddenly became pale. He saw the nasty smile Joe sent to Nancy.  
  
'Joe, you're not going to tell her, are you? Please don't!' he begged.  
  
Joe whistled. 'We'll see. But now you're supposed to come to work.'  
  
'What?' Frank asked.  
  
'Dad said we should go to Mr. Cline and ask him about something,' Joe answered.  
  
-'Ok, give me a minute. I'm going to put on some clothes.'  
  
Frank went into the bedroom.  
  
Joe looked at Nancy.  
  
'Did you know that Frank is still with Callie?'  
  
'I wasn't thinking about her. I totally forgot that she existed, 'Nancy answered, 'Don't remind me of her.'  
  
They stood quiet in the kitchen until Frank came.  
  
'Well, we can go now' he said.  
  
'Ok. Bye Nancy' Joe said as he went out of the kitchen and out of the apartment. Frank followed him. A second after he closed the door behind him Joe said:  
  
'You're in a deep shit, man.'  
  
Frank nodded. 'I can handle this, stay out of it or I kill you!'  
  
-'You will? God, I'm real scared...not.'  
  
-'Joe, shut up!'  
  
-'I talk when I want to talk' Joe said and slide into the car.  
  
-'And you don't talk when you should' Frank said.  
  
They didn't talk more on their way to Mr. Cline's house.  
  
The house was very large and white. And there were many, many round, big windows, there were trees around it which created shadows on the white walls that made them look like grey.  
  
Joe whistled. 'Wow, that's nice.' He said.  
  
He and Frank walked to the door. Before they could ring the doorbell a young woman opened the door.  
  
'Are you the Hardy boys?' she asked but didn't wait for an answer.  
  
'Your father called and told me to expect you.'  
  
Frank nodded, didn't say anything This woman probably wouldn't listen if he did.  
  
'Well, Mr. Cline is upstairs, on the 3rd floor. You turn to the right, his room is at the end of the hallway, understood?' she continued and went away before Frank could answer.  
  
When she was gone, Joe started to laugh.  
  
'Wow.'  
  
The brothers followed the woman's directions and knocked on the door.  
  
'Come on in' someone said from inside.  
  
Frank opened the door and they went in.  
  
When they came in a big wooden desk stood in front of them and behind it sat a rather old man.  
  
'You must be Frank and Joe Hardy, you're Joe, right?' he asked Joe. He stood up and shook hands with them.  
  
'Yes, I am' Joe answered, 'I'm very sorry about your daughter' he added.  
  
'But you're going to bring the man who murdered her to justice, aren't you?' Mr. Cline said and smiled weakly.  
  
-'Of course' Joe answered and smiled, 'At least we'll do what we can.'  
  
'That's true but to do that we need some information' Frank said.  
  
'I'll tell you what I know.which is not much, really' Mr. Cline said.  
  
'Well, here we go' Frank said and took a micro cassette recorder from his pocket, 'Did your daughter have any enemies?' he asked.  
  
Mr. Cline thought for a while.  
  
'Not that I know about' he answered, 'Maybe some jealous girls from school but I think they're harmless.'  
  
-'Why were they jealous?'  
  
-'Well, Sarah was good at almost everything and she was also beautiful, that's a rare mix.'  
  
-'What about boys? Her relationships?'  
  
-'That's one of the few things she wasn't good at. She liked to change them quite often.'  
  
-'Do you think some old boyfriend could have done this, or possibly she was with two at the same time?'  
  
-That's a chance but I have no idea. She never brought a boy home, always went to their places. I only know this about the 'guy switching' because she used come to me and say: 'dad, I'm going to Jake' and the next time:' dad I'm going to Tom. Then she said she was going to some other guy and on and on. I remember she was once going to Joe Hardy' Mr. Cline said and looked at Joe.  
  
Joe blushed.  
  
Frank smiled. 'I believe that. 'Now he understood the way that Joe looked at her in the mortuary.  
  
Joe cut in. 'This is a big house, Mr, Cline, 'he said and looked around inside this room which was twice bigger than the living- room at his home, 'How many people are living here?' he asked.  
  
'There were five persons living here, four persons now' Mr. Cline answered.  
  
'I thought you only had 3 children, 'Joe said.  
  
Frank was wondering where he was going with this.  
  
-'I have 3 children with Rose, but I also have 2 children from another marriage.'  
  
-'They're not all living here, are they?'  
  
-'Sarah was the last child along with Rose who still lived here, but Randy who is the younger 'child' with Annette, my former wife, God bless her, he lives here too though he's 24 years old.'  
  
-'Ok, so it's you, your wife,(Joe counted on his fingers)Randy and who's the fourth?'  
  
-'Our household assistant, Luise.'  
  
-'I see and all the others are moved out?'  
  
Mr. Cline nodded.  
  
'Well, I think we're running out of questions but we'll talk to you again if we come up with something, is that all right?,' Frank asked and turned off the micro cassette recorder.  
  
'You're welcome,' William Cline answered.  
  
'Do you think your wife could tell us something?' Frank asked.  
  
'No, she can't. I was telling you what we share. We hold a weekly meeting about our children' Mr. Cline answered.  
  
'All right then but we'll talk to Luise, is she very busy?' Frank asked.  
  
Cline smiled. 'No, but good luck!'  
  
Frank closed the doors.  
  
I guess I don't need to say it but: Please review and tell what you really think. ------------------------------------------------------------ 


	6. Chat with Luise

6.chapter Chat with Luise. -------------------------------------------------------  
  
The Hardy brothers were walking down the stairs in William's Cline house looking for the young woman who had let hem into the house.  
  
'Have you decided what you're going to tell Callie?' Joe asked on the hallway.  
  
'It's none of your business. I told you to stay out if it! Why do you care so much, anyway?' Frank said.  
  
-'You're right. I shouldn't be the worried one, you should be the worried one.' Joe answered.  
  
-'Can you shut your mouth for once?' Frank asked annoyed.  
  
Joe grinned.  
  
They found the young woman in the kitchen.  
  
She was washing the dishes and didn't hear them coming.  
  
'Miss Luise?' Frank asked rather loud.  
  
She startled and dropped the dish she was holding, on the floor and it broke in 100 pieces.  
  
'Damn!' she said and kneeled on the floor to pick it up.  
  
Joe kneeled too and helped her. 'I'm sorry, are you ok?' he asked guessing she was about the same age as he.  
  
'Yes, I'm fine thank you. I didn't hear you.'Luise said.  
  
Joe laughed. 'We're specially trained to move without making one little sound.'  
  
Luise laughed too. 'Wow, you're well trained. Oh, God I've got to clean this up.'  
  
Joe thought she was so much easier to talk to now, than when the brothers first came. Maybe it was because he was melting her with his sapphire-blue eyes.  
  
'Can we ask you a few questions?' Frank asked.  
  
-'All right' Luise answered.  
  
'Why don't we sit down' Joe suggested.  
  
Luise stood for a few seconds.  
  
'Oh, this is ridiculous, I should be asking you seats. Have a seat please, I'm going to get us something to drink.'  
  
Frank whispered to his brother.  
  
'What the hell are you doing?'  
  
Joe put up an innocent face.  
  
'What? What did I do?' he asked.  
  
-'You know what I mean.'  
  
-'She's not bad, and she's very cute. I'm not the one cheating on his girlfriend.'  
  
-'You're sick.'  
  
-'Compared to..?'  
  
Luise came to them with soda and sat down.  
  
'Well, what were you going to ask about.Sarah?'  
  
'What else?' Joe asked and smiled at her.  
  
She smiled too. 'Of course, silly me.'  
  
Frank took up the micro cassette recorder again.  
  
'Were you and Sarah friends?' he asked.  
  
'Well.um, not exactly friends but we knew each other very well,' Luise answered and looked a little nervous.  
  
Joe watched her closely.  
  
'Do you know if she had any enemies?' Frank asked.  
  
Luise thought for a while. 'I remember she once had a fight with some guy, bigger fights than she normally had and at the end he punched her. He was in jail for six months.'  
  
'How do you know this?' Frank asked.  
  
-'Well, I was there when it happened, it was in a nightclub, the one she was killed in, as a matter of fact.'  
  
'What were you doing there?' Joe asked.  
  
'I was having fun, I sometimes get away from here' she looked at Joe.  
  
'Did this guy ever try to contact her again?' Frank asked.  
  
-'He called several times and apologized but Sarah already had found another guy.'  
  
-'Haven't heard from him since then?'  
  
-'I think he moved from Bayport.'  
  
-'How about within the family? Have there been any family argues?'  
  
Suddenly Luise put up the cold face again. 'No,' she answered, 'There's very much love within this family.'  
  
That seemed to be the end of this chat.  
  
Frank nodded. 'Thank you.' He turned off the recorder.  
  
'Has the police come here?' he asked.  
  
Luise was taking the glasses from the table. 'Yes, they have. They've forbidden everybody to go to Sarah's room.'  
  
'I see,' Frank took up his cell phone.  
  
While he was talking on the phone, Joe and Luise were talking to each other.  
'All right, Luise. I have chief Collig's permission to go into Sarah's room. Will you take me there?' Frank asked when he had finished the phone call.  
  
They went upstairs again. Sarah's room was on the 2nd floor.  
  
There was a yellow ribbon across the doors like on the toilet. Frank went under this one. The room looked pretty much like every other teenage girl bedroom. Or that's what Frank thought, he hadn't been into so many. He put on gloves and then he looked into the drawers on the desk, into the closet, under the duvet and even under the bed.  
  
'What do you think you're going to find here?' Joe asked standing outside the room.  
  
'I don't know, Joe' Frank answered, 'Did Sarah held a diary?' he asked Luise.  
  
She grinned. 'Yeah, sure. She showed it to me every night after she wrote into it' Luise said ironically and frowned to Joe, he grinned too.  
  
'All right, sorry, just asked.'Frank said with a low voice.  
  
Joe smiled. He liked that girl. Naturally..  
  
'Knock it off, I'm getting hungry. You won't find anything here' he said.  
  
'Fine, I'm coming, I'm coming, take it easy' Frank said and went out of the room.  
  
'Well then, Luise. Thanks for all your help, we'll.'  
  
'.let you know if we come up with other questions, 'Joe finished for Frank and smiled at Luise, again.  
  
And of course she smiled too. Frank was not happy about it but didn't want to be like his brother by minding it.  
  
They said goodbye and went out.  
  
In the car Joe said to his brother:  
  
'Have you thought of what you're going to do with Callie?'  
  
Frank sighed. 'Damn it, Joe! Let go of the subject. You're obsessed with this, Jesus.'  
  
'I don't want Callie to get hurt, that's all' Joe said and stared at the road ahead of him.  
  
-'Joe, trust me. And what is this with you and Luise?'  
  
-'Well, I like her.'  
  
They were silent for a moment.  
  
-'Any plans for the night?' Joe asked.  
  
-'Hem?'  
  
-'You know, we were all going to go together, remember, and do something fun.'  
  
-'Oh, I totally forgot it. Shit.when?'  
  
-'About 9 o'clock.'  
  
-'Thank God.'  
  
-'Why?'  
  
-'Nancy arranged dinner tonight.'  
  
-'She did? How sweet..'  
  
They were in front of Frank's block.  
  
-'See ya tonight, bro' Joe said and smiled teasingly  
  
-'Bye, give dad this' Frank answered and handed Joe the micro- cassette recorder.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------- As always, please review and I don't care about flames. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 


	7. Having fun and breaking up

7.chapter Having fun and breaking up. ------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks for the reviews and anonymous 327: I perfectly know what's right and wrong and yes, I like bad guys. And this isn't the books, it's a fanfiction. But tell me, what about the story? Is it a disaster because I changed Joe? Tell me if you have something positive, or negative, about the storyline itself. But you know what, I totally agree with you. Thank goodness for the original books... otherwise no one could make a fanfic about it! To NeverendingEcho: I'm afraid I don't know what this html format thing is but thank you for your review and you know, you've got to update your story. And thank you so much for your reviews!!! To Wait: Thank you for your reviews and maybe I'll put in some flashbacks from the missing years. I have to admit that I'm not sure where this chapter came from. It's rather dramatic and usually I don't like drama, I kinda blush, honestly...Let me know if it's stolen from some soap opera or something... --------------------------------------------------------------- Callie Shaw was waiting in front of the big supermarket- signboard.  
  
Someone had called her earlier and told her to meet there. She was almost sure it was Joe but still not 100% sure, but he sounded very serious. That signboard was beside the parking lot of Frank's block and she could see his living room from where she was. She tried to eye him. Maybe she could go to him while she was waiting. They hadn't seen each other much for a long time.  
  
Her teeth chattered. It was so cold and Joe or whoever it was who called didn't seem to be on his way.  
  
Callie had waited for 20 minutes.  
  
Suddenly she saw something in Frank's apartment on the balcony. Was it a girl? Yes, it was. It was Nancy Drew. Callie remembered her, she had been to Bayport several times before with her father and sometimes on her own, to help Fenton and the Hardy brothers on some cases. Now she was there with Frank and they did not look very well to Callie.  
  
Somebody had probably put glue on their tongues, or could there be any other reason for they were hanging on each others lips?  
  
Of course, this was ironic. Callie knew exactly what was going on. She was very angry and completely forgot what she was doing there and walked as fast as she could home where she fell on her bed and cried.  
  
----------------------------------------------------- Eight young people met in front of this very same signboard later in the night and one of them was Callie. Chet Morton, Biff Hooper and Tony Prito were there too. And the Hardy brothers, of course, and Nancy Drew and Luise was with Joe. He introduced her to the others and Frank did the same thing with Nancy.as an old friend.  
  
'So' Biff said and rubbed his hands, 'Where should we go?'  
  
'I know about a good restaurant, 'Chet said and smiled.  
  
'Not another restaurant' Tony complained.  
  
The guys all began to argue about where they should go. Joe, Tony and Biff wanted to go to some nightclub or a party but Frank and Chet wanted to go to a quiet restaurant, Chet was the worth of two because of his body size, so technically it was three on each idea. The girls watched, at least Nancy and Luise, Callie was looking at Nancy angrily. No one noticed it.  
  
Nancy was getting bored of the argue and went between the guys and cut in:  
  
'Guys! Guys! Can you stop that, come on. Can't we just go to both places?'  
  
Five faces smiled at her.  
  
'No, Nancy' Frank said and looked at his friends, 'That's not how it works. We like this, we always do this just to see who wins, which side are you on?' he asked.  
  
Nancy blushed. Everyone were looking at her. 'Well.I.um, I think I go with the restaurant idea' she finally decided.  
  
Frank looked smiling at Chet.  
  
'What about you girls?' Biff asked Callie and Luise.  
  
Luise walked to Frank and Nancy. She stood against Joe.  
  
'I'd pick the restaurant' she said, 'There are so many funny things you can do under the tables' she added and looked Joe in the eyes.  
  
The other whistled. Joe blushed like the Santa's suit.  
  
'Well, then Callie. It's up to you, honey' Frank said to and looked at her begging.  
  
She grinned.  
  
'I'm a nightlifefan,' she said and walked slowly to Joe, Biff and Tony with her arms crossed.  
  
'It's fifty-fifty then ' Biff said, 'What to do?'  
  
'We'll go to both places' Nancy said and smiled.  
  
'Ok, how about this? We pay for you into the nightclub and you'll pay for us on the restaurant. 'Tony suggested.  
  
The restaurant group was not happy about that.  
  
'That's not fair, restaurants are so much more expensive!' they objected.  
  
Tony smiled. 'I know that, I'm not the one who wanted to go there!'  
  
Frank, Chet and Nancy all looked at each other.  
  
'You know, Joe, it's really impolite to let the girl pay, especially on a first date' Luise said.  
  
Joe smiled with his muscular arms crossed.  
  
'No one ever said you'd have to pay, they can do it' he said and pointed at Frank, Nancy and Chet with his head.  
  
They all gaped.  
  
Nancy was about to agree with Luise when she noticed Callie' s eyes on her and remembered who she was, unfortunately, still Frank's girlfriend.  
  
'All right, ok. We'll keep it that way, let's just get in now, it's cold out here' Chet said.  
  
They all went into a fine restaurant and had a great meal, though it was obviously some tension between Nancy and Callie but of course nobody said nothing. Nancy felt very jealous, looking at Callie in Frank's arms.  
  
'Tell me' Biff said to Frank and Joe, 'How did you met Nancy?'  
  
'Oh, our dads were helping each other on a case and somehow we got involved with it, and solved it' Frank explained and smiled at Nancy.  
  
'And you two?' Tony asked, meaning Joe and Luise.  
  
'Well, we just met today. Frank and I were talking to the man she works with, Mr. Cline' Joe said and looked at Luise with sparkling eyes. She smiled but raised her eyebrows  
  
'And that's it? You're incredible.' Biff said to Joe.  
  
'I can't help how attractive I am' Joe said and grinned.  
  
Biff looked at Callie who was sitting beside him (the table was round and Callie sat between Biff and Frank, Nancy sat on Frank's other side). She was a little pale.  
  
'Is there something wrong?' he asked and put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
'No, I'm fine' she answered and looked at his hand on her shoulder.  
  
They had been friends since forever, almost like brother and sister.  
  
Frank looked at Callie without saying a word.  
  
'Joe, can you talk to me for a moment?' She asked and looked at him.  
  
'Of course' he stood up.  
  
They went to the toilet entrance.  
  
'Joe, did you call me earlier?' Callie asked.  
  
Joe's eyes went wide-open.  
  
'No, I didn't' he answered.  
  
Callie start walking around.  
  
'This is so weird, somebody with a similar voice to yours, called me and told me to meet him outside Frank's block and when I was waiting I saw them on the balcony, they were kissing.'  
  
-'Who?' Joe asked though he knew.  
  
'Frank and this.Nancy!' Callie said angrily. Tear fell down her cheek. Joe wasn't sure of what to do.  
  
'Excuse me' she said and went into the toilet.  
  
She splashed cold water over her face and looked at herself in the mirror and wondered what Nancy Drew had that she hadn't..beside the same hobbies as Frank.  
  
When Callie came out of the toilets Joe was gone but Frank waited for her.  
  
He smiled.  
  
'May I have this talk?' he asked politely like he was asking her to dance.  
  
'I guess' Callie answered not in the same glad tone.  
  
'Is something wrong?' he asked.  
  
'No' Callie looked away.  
  
-'There's got to be something, you're not like yourself' Frank said. He was a little bit afraid of what she had been talking to Joe about. If he had told her about him and Nancy he wouldn't survive the night!  
  
'What do you know about that?' she thought. 'Really, I'm fine' she said aloud.  
  
-'Can we go outside for a moment?'  
  
-'Sure.'  
  
They went out.  
  
It was cold outside.  
  
Frank and Callie didn't look at each other and it was very uncomfortable but they didn't know what to do or say.  
  
'What were you and Joe talking about?' Frank finally asked.  
  
-'Nothing, nothing at all,' Callie answered.  
  
-'Come on, you can tell me. Please!'  
  
Callie sighed. 'Maybe it was something you shouldn't know about' she said.  
  
'And what could that be?' Frank asked.  
  
Callie sat on the steps and thought about what she could say.  
  
'Frank, did you have a girlfriend before me?' she asked.  
  
'No, why?' Frank asked, he was getting very nervous.  
  
-'It doesn't matter.' They sat silent.  
  
'Are you on a case?' Callie asked.  
  
Frank nodded.  
  
'Is Nancy helping you?'  
  
That was what Frank had feared, how was he supposed to answer?  
  
'Well, no.she's, she's just on a vacation' Frank lied and hated himself for it.  
  
'Do you like her?' Callie asked.  
  
Frank looked at her. 'Pardon me?'  
  
-'Do you like her?' Callie repeated.  
  
-'We're friends.'  
  
-'And you're my so called "boyfriend" but still you can kiss her and God knows what more!' Callie spat out.  
  
Frank stood up. 'Callie, I..I didn't know what to say and I wasn't thinking and I was stupid and I should have told you first but, you see, Nancy and I...well...' he said.  
  
Callie nodded. 'I don't want to hear it. Can you tell the others that I have a headache?' she said and walked away.  
  
Frank watched her. He turned around to go back in and saw his brother standing there.  
  
Joe had been standing there for a while. He couldn't help smiling but managed to hide it before Frank turned to him.  
  
Frank tried to find something suspicious in his brothers face.  
  
'Did you tell her?' he asked and prepared to kill Joe.  
  
'What? About you and Nancy? No, I didn't. She told me she had been walking to you and saw you and Nancy kissing' Joe said.  
  
They looked at each other. Joe seemed to be telling the truth but lately he had been acting a little strange. Their friends came out of the restaurant.  
  
'Well, at last Chet has finished his meal and we can go to some place with more fun!' Biff announced loudly, he looked around. 'Hey, where did Callie go?' he asked.  
  
'She had a headache' Frank answered and looked significant at Joe and then at Nancy.  
  
'One less to pay for into the nightclub' Nancy said lightly, which she shouldn't have.  
  
'Is something wrong?' Biff asked Frank.  
  
Frank shook his head. 'No, everything's fine.'  
  
'What are we waiting for then?' Tony asked and smiled.  
  
'Nothing. Let's go!' Joe answered and put his arm around Luise.  
  
They went into a small nightclub. Not the Fanclub(that's what the Nightlifefanclub was called). Tony didn't like to have fun where he worked. Besides there had been made some security arrangements because of the murder of Sarah Cline. A lots of guards everywhere. The group had fun there 'till 5 a.m. ----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Enjoy and review. Hey, you know you're supposed to review I don't need to write it all the time, do I?  
  
I'm going to a field trip to Denmark on Sunday so I won't be able to update for a week, or so, but I think it's ok, it's not that exciting, anyway. I'll be expecting some reviews when I check it out next time... Ps. I have a question, is there a book where Joe and Vanessa met or did she just turn up like that, like she had always been there?  
Thank you  
  
Ragna, ICE(land). --------------------------------------------------------- 


	8. Cline's past

8. chapter Cline's past. Hi, again. Had a great time in Denmark. Went to Aarhus and Copenhagen. I recommend Tivoli, great place! Anyway, let's continue! Ok, I don't know why I mixed Nancy in this, but I know what you mean. She sucks here, but you have to live with her the way she is for a few more chapters (rather many chapters, actually, maybe the whole story.), because I have already written them. well, on with the story.! ---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
It was the afternoon after the night when Callie and Frank broke up.  
  
Frank was watching TV. The news had nothing new about his case, or rather, his and Joe's and their father's and the police's case. Nancy sat there with him but they hadn't talked much all day.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
Nancy went to open, she hoped it wasn't Callie. She was relieved when she saw Joe standing outside.  
  
'Hi, Joe. Come on in' she said.  
  
Joe smiled. 'Thanks, Nance. Where's my dear brother?'  
  
'He's watching the television' Nancy answered.  
  
'Of course' Joe said in a low voice and walked into the living room.  
  
'Hello, Frank. How are you doing today?' he asked and sat down on the sofa.  
  
'Been better, much better' Frank answered.  
  
'Have you talked to Callie?' his brother asked.  
  
'No, there's nothing to talk about. You're not still thinking about it, it's over' Frank said annoyed.  
  
Nancy was listening and she was very glad to hear this, maybe too glad.  
  
'Is it?!' she asked.  
  
Frank and Joe looked at her.  
  
She blushed. 'Oh, I didn't mean it that way.'  
  
'Yes, you did' Joe said and grinned.  
  
'Well, at least you don't have to lie to her' Nancy said and took Frank's hand.  
  
He nodded. 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're right..'  
  
They kissed. Joe watched them and grinned. How cute.  
  
He cleared his throat. 'Frank, have you listened to the tape we recorded while talking to Cline?'  
  
Frank and Nancy stopped kissing. 'No' Frank answered.  
  
'Why don't we try to find some hidden clues there?' Joe said and took the micro-cassette recorder from his pocket.  
  
He put it on the table and pushed the 'play' button.  
  
They all listened closely. Or Joe wasn't really listening he didn't feel any need for it, he just stared at Frank while he was listening. He'd find the clues.  
  
'How about within the family? Have there been any family argues?' they heard Frank's voice ask.  
  
Then there was a short silence.  
  
'No. There's very much love within this family' Luise's voice answered coldly.  
  
Joe reached out and turned off the recorder.  
  
'That didn't sound well' Frank said, 'Do you think she was lying?' he asked.  
  
'I don't know, what do you think?' Joe asked back.  
  
-'I think she was. Does it bother you?'  
  
-'Why should it bother me?'  
  
-'Well, you were together and.'  
  
-'For a night.'  
  
-'Are you going to see her again?'  
  
Joe thought. 'I don't know, why should I?'  
  
Frank grinned. 'So you're going to act like you don't know her?'  
  
'I've done it before and you didn't care then' Joe said, 'Now, it is obvious she was not telling the truth there so there can't be so much love within the family, right?'  
  
Frank nodded. He suddenly remembered something.  
  
'Hey, Joe. Do you remember Sarah and Randy from school?' he asked.  
  
Joe smiled. 'Exactly what I was thinking about, bro. Sarah was interested in everything and everyone.'  
  
'Including you' Frank said and grinned.  
  
Joe didn't say anything for a while. 'That has nothing to do with this. But do you remember Randy?'  
  
'He was the quiet type like he was invisible' Frank said.  
  
Nancy stood up. 'I'll let you guys talk about this alone, I'm going to take a walk.'  
  
She kissed Frank and went out.  
  
'Aren't you going to tell mum and dad that you broke up with Callie?' Joe asked.  
  
'Why do they have to know?' Frank asked.  
  
-'Well, you were with Callie for 7 years, 7!'  
  
-'I didn't know Randy wasn't Rose's son, did you?' Frank asked quickly to change the subject.  
  
-'No, but apparently he isn't.'  
  
-'So, we know that. What are we going to do next?'  
  
-'You're the brain here, you tell me.'  
  
-'Well, if there is something suspicious in the family we must find out.'  
  
Joe thought for a moment. 'Perhaps we can find something in old school files' he suggested.  
  
Frank nodded. 'Clever, but I'm so lazy today' he said and laid back on the sofa.  
  
Joe smiled. He thought that was very unusual. 'You don't have to do it, I'll ask Callie to find it in the computer.'  
  
Frank looked at him. 'Callie?' he repeated.  
  
-'Yeah, is something wrong with that?'  
  
Frank shook his head. 'I guess not, I don't like computer work anyway.'  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
Joe ran fast to Callie's house. She and her friend rented a basement apartment and Biff's family lived in the same block.  
  
He knocked at the door. Samantha, who was Callie's best friend opened. She wasn't part of the 'group'. But they knew her, anyway.  
  
'Hello, Joe' she said smiling.  
  
Joe smiled back. 'Hi, Sam. Is Callie at home?'  
  
'Yeah, she's really pissed off. Did Frank really break up with her?' she asked.  
  
'Yeah, he did. I don't understand what she's so sad about, Frank is pathetic' Joe said.  
  
Samantha looked at him. 'Joe, you don't really mean that?'  
  
-'Yes, I really mean that. Well, I guess he just broke her pride..'  
  
He knocked on Callie's bedroom door. He heard Callie's voice.  
  
'Who is it?'  
  
'Joe' he answered.  
  
He heard a key turn in the keyhole and a second later Callie opened.  
  
'Oh, hi Joe' she said quietly and moved aside to let him in.  
  
'Hi, Callie. Can you do me a favour?' Joe asked.  
  
'Maybe, what is it?'  
  
'Marry me!' Joe said with an emotional act.  
  
Callie laughed. 'You do your job fast. Something else?'  
  
'I need the files we found last week' Joe said more seriously.  
  
-'Ok.' Callie sat down at her computer, 'I just have to print it out first. Why did you want me to keep them for so long?'  
  
Joe sat on her bed. He didn't answer the question.  
  
'How are you?' he asked kindly.  
  
'Fine' Callie answered without looking at him.  
  
Joe nodded. 'That's fine then.'  
  
Callie printed the files and gave to Joe.  
  
'Thanks sweetie' he said and dabbed on her shoulder.  
  
'Bye' she said.  
  
-'Bye.'  
  
Joe said goodbye to Samantha and went out. There he met Biff who was on his way into the block.  
  
-'Hey there, buddy, how's going?' he asked.  
  
'OK' Biff answered, 'Were you at Callie's.'  
  
-'Yeah.'  
  
'She's been acting very weird today. I don't know why.'Biff said and looked at a window in Callie's and Samantha's apartment where he could see Samantha's face. The face suddenly disappeared.  
  
Biff shook his head. 'She likes me' he said to himself.  
  
Joe smiled. 'And Callie?' he asked.  
  
'What about her?' then he understood. 'She's with Frank' Biff said ,'And she's like my best friend.'  
  
-'Would she be that if she was available?'  
  
-'Well.I.That's a whole other point.'  
  
Joe walked closer to his friend. 'She is available' he whispered with a teasing voice.  
  
Then he ran back to Frank's apartment and left Biff with a huge question mark on his face. -----------------------------------------------------  
  
Nancy was back when he came.  
  
'Hi, Joe. Where were you?' she asked, though she didn't care at all, just to say something.  
  
'I was just picking up some stuff' Joe said, 'Where's Frank?'  
  
'I'm here. You were quick' Frank answered and came into the kitchen.  
  
'I got this' Joe said and waved a paperblock.  
  
'Ok, let me see this, 'Frank said and took the block from his brothers hand.  
  
He read over a few pages.  
  
'Here it says:' he read out loud, 'That Christopher Cline was an excellent student and a great basketballplayer, nothing suspicious about him.'  
  
'This is a murder investigation, everybody are suspicious' Joe said.  
  
-'Randy has always been very quiet and still, his grades were OK, bla, bla, bla.'  
  
'Give me that' Joe said and took the paperblock from Frank. He read it fast but suddenly he found something interesting.  
  
'Listen to this' he said to Frank, 'It was a big scandal for the family when a psychologist found out from Randy that he liked his sister. God, he's sick and you call me sick?' Joe said and frowned.  
  
(You have to excuse me, I know nothing about American schoolsystems)  
  
'That's what I remembered' Frank said and ignored Joe's last words, 'Keep on.'  
  
-'Well, there's not much more here but here's something about the police had to cut in at last.'  
  
Frank nodded. 'The police must have something about it, we can talk to Collig.'  
  
'Should we go?' Joe asked.  
  
-'Take it easy, Joe. Tell me something about the others.'  
  
Joe looked at other pages. 'The other two children who Cline had with Rose were twins. They did a lot of fighting and there were some others guys who always hanged out with them, some sort of a gang. That's pretty much it. There's only mentioned Sarah's and Randy's connections.'  
  
'We'll ask Collig, but Joe, there's one thing we're forgetting. The attack, it must have a meaning, doesn't it?' Frank said, stood up and started walking around like he did when he was thinking about something he couldn't understand.  
  
Joe lifted his shoulders. 'It might have been warning, you know. Someone trying to get us out of the case.'  
  
'He.or she, can't be so stupid. I mean it obvious that something like that makes the police more interested in him.or her. Not even you are that dum' Frank added.  
  
Joe didn't show any signs of that he thought it was funny.  
  
'Well, should we go to Collig?' Frank said quickly.  
  
Joe stood up from the sofa and they walked out.  
  
Frank went on his car and Joe rode his motorcycle. --------------------------------------------------------------- 


	9. Sarah, Randysad story

9. Chapter: Randy, Sarah-sad story/Meet the parents...  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------ Chief Collig sat behind his desk and read some papers. He looked up when Frank Hardy knocked at the door of his office. 'Come in' he said.  
  
Frank and Joe came in. 'Hi, Ezra' Frank said.  
  
'Hello, boys. Have a seat. What have you been up to?' Collig asked and looked at them both.  
  
'Well, we were wondering if you remembered some case with the Cline people' Frank said.  
  
'The Clines are good people, what are you guys saying?' Collig asked.  
  
'You see, we found some stuff about Sarah and her brother Randy. Something about he was interested in her' Frank explained.  
  
Collig thought for a while. 'Guys, why don't you tell me, what's the point of this?'  
  
Frank explained what he thought.  
  
Collig nodded.  
  
'I see, I'll try to find something about it, 'he said.  
  
'Are you very busy?' Joe asked.  
  
'Rather. But if you want, you two can go down to the basement and find the files you're looking for' Collig said.  
  
Frank smiled. 'That would be very good' he said, 'Thanks.'  
  
He took the keys that Collig gave to him.  
  
The brothers walked down a big stairs. They talked to some police officers they knew on their way. Guards let them into a room where a lot of old paper files where kept. When the doors opened, the electric system turned on the lights so the room became bright. Each wall was nothing but uncountable grey drawers with numbers, years and letters on it's front.  
  
The Hardy brothers went in. They looked for the year 1998, and then under C, for Cline.  
  
Joe took a small folder up from one of the drawer.  
  
'Here it comes' he said to his brother.  
  
He turned the pages. 'This is it. Take it upstairs or read it here?' he asked.  
  
'Let's take a look at it now' Frank answered excited.  
  
They sat down(there was a desk and a few chairs).  
  
'Ok, Randy Cline was accused of carrying illegal drugs,' Frank read out loud,' Because of his depression he went to a psychologist. He turned out to be madly in love with his half-sister, Sarah, who was 5 years younger than him.'Frank frowned, 'Poor guy. Anyway.here's something useful, um, Sarah Cline was found unconscious in Randy's car but he wasn't there himself. She was unconscious because of high volume of some drug, I can't read the name of it, it's in Latin or something. She was close to death but survived. Randy admitted that he had put the drug in her glass and carried her to his car where he was going to.'Frank stopped reading, 'Oh, my God. This is awful!'  
  
Joe, who had sat silent and listened, nodded.  
  
'Yes but it's over' he said, 'Are we going to show this to dad, or.?'  
  
-'Joe, you really don't have more feeling for this?' his brother said in accusing tone.  
  
Joe shook his head. 'No, not really.'  
  
Frank sighed. 'Well. We'll ask if we can borrow this and show it to dad,' he said, meaning the folder about Cline.  
  
They walked back up to Collig's office. He was saying goodbye to someone on the phone when they came in. He hung up.  
  
'Well then, boys. Did you find something?' he asked.  
  
Frank nodded. 'This' he said and put the folder on the chief's desk. Collig took it and turned the pages.  
  
'This is not pretty' he said.  
  
-'Can we take it and show it to dad? We'll give it back, 'Frank said.  
  
'I guess, 'Collig said and gave the folder back to him.  
  
'Have you found out something about the helicopter that attacked us?' Joe asked.  
  
'No,' Collig answered, 'But we'll let you know if we do. And you'll do the same?'  
  
'Of course,' Frank said, 'Thanks' he added and waved the folder. ---------------------------------------------------------  
  
They went out. 'Let's go home now and hear what dad says' Frank said.  
  
Joe nodded. 'We can do that but we need to stop at your place first' he said.  
  
'Why?' Frank asked.  
  
Joe didn't answer, just started his motorcycle and took off. ---------------------------------------------------  
  
Frank saw, on the way, that his brother was talking on the cell phone.  
  
When they came to Frank's block, Nancy was waiting outside. When she saw Frank's car she came running to him.  
  
'Hi' she said, 'What's that about?' she asked and sat into the car.  
  
'I don't know' Frank said and drove after his brother.  
  
They went to their parents.  
  
Laura Hardy was working in the garden.  
  
'Hello, boys.and Nancy! What brings you here?' she asked and kissed her sons on the cheek.  
  
'I'm just relaxing.' Nancy began but Frank didn't let her finish.  
  
'Actually, mum, I have something to tell you' he said and looked at Joe, who nodded, 'You see, um, well.'  
  
'Yes, honey?' Laura asked.  
  
Frank wasn't sure what to say.  
  
'Ok, um, have you noticed that me and Callie haven't been really close for past months?' he asked.  
  
His mother slowly nodded. 'Yes' she said.  
  
'And guess I haven't been a good boyfriend, and then Nancy came and I realized why. We're just not meant to be, you know?'  
  
Mrs. Hardy smiled. 'I know what you mean, dear. Why don't you go and talk to your dad. Gertrude was just baking.'  
  
'That's great, I'm hungry!' Joe said happily and walked inside.  
  
Inside Fenton and Gertrude sat at the kitchen table and waited for the others.  
  
'Good morning, Frank. Nancy! I didn't know you were here. When did you come?'  
  
'Two days ago' Nancy answered.  
  
'And you didn't come for a visit?' Fenton asked and pretended to be offended.  
  
-'Yeah, I know.'  
  
-'Are you going to help us?'  
  
-'Maybe, if I can.'  
  
Joe cleared his throat. 'Um, Frank?'  
  
'Oh, yes' Frank mumbled.  
  
'Dad, me and Callie.well, we.broke up.'  
  
Fenton's eyes went wide open.  
  
'I never get enough of surprising news. Someone else has to tell me something?' he asked.  
  
'Yes, dad there is one other thing' Joe said seriously.  
  
-'That's.?'  
  
Joe blushed. 'I don't know how to tell you this but, um, I recently was diagnosed to have a bad alcoholic problem and.'  
  
Everybody looked at him, there was a complete silence in the kitchen.  
  
Joe watched each and everyone. His mother grinned.  
  
'Oh, come on! You didn't seriously believed it?!' he asked.  
  
His father took a deep breath. 'Joe, don't ever do that again! You're a pretty good actor. I believed you.'  
  
'What kind of detective are you?' Joe asked and took a big bite if his cake.  
  
'I'm a good detective, you're my son, my child, I believe everything you say, except if you'd say you hate your parents.'Fenton said and pointed at Joe with his finger.  
  
Joe smiled.  
  
'Dad, I have more surprising news' Frank said and looked at Nancy.  
  
Fenton Hardy stared at him. 'Frank?'  
  
'No, it's not a joke, honestly' Frank said.  
  
'What is it then?' his father asked curiously.  
  
'Me and Nancy.' Frank took Nancy's hand and they looked at each other with love in their eyes, uncovered message...  
  
Fenton nodded. 'That's.. good.. congratulations!'  
  
Frank and Nancy smiled happily.  
  
Laura hugged them both.  
  
'Oh, this is so wonderful, you are the perfect couple' she said, 'But how is Callie?'  
  
Frank looked at Joe.  
  
'Well, she was not exactly the happiest but she'll get over it' Joe answered.  
  
'Congratulations?!' Aunt Gertrude said and kissed Frank on the head, 'Why are we saying that? I didn't hear anything about getting married.'  
  
'Aunt, you read my mind' Joe said and reached out for more cake. ---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Frank, Nancy and Joe sat in Fenton's office.  
  
Fenton, himself, was reading the papers about Randy and Sarah Cline.  
  
'That's creepy' he said at last 'In my opinion you should talk to Randy. But here's something I found.' He took something out of the desk's drawer and placed it on it. It was a tiny, little bullet, from a gun.  
  
'I found it outside the nightclub' Mr. Hardy said, 'And I checked it in a microscope and I found this tiny letter on it. It was M or W I'm not sure...I photographed it.'  
  
Now he put some photographs on the desk. They were hoary but the letter W or M was obviously engraved into the bullet.  
  
'We'll be a team, the three of you and me and the police, how does that sound?'  
  
'Good' Frank answered, 'We'll take care of the Clines and you'll be working on the attack, I think it's fine.'  
  
Fenton looked at Nancy.  
  
'I'll do whatever he'll do' she said and looked at Frank.  
  
Fenton nodded. 'Joe, is this OK to you?' he asked.  
  
Joe nodded. 'Yeah, sure, whatever.'  
  
'Fine, then we'll get together sometimes with the police and give reports. Of course you'll stay in phone contact every day and Joe, I guess you'll come home every night so you can tell me everything' Fenton said and put the photographs and the bullet back into the drawer.  
  
The three young people all nodded and stood up. ----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Please review, thanks! 


	10. Randy speaks

10. chapter : Randy speaks...  
  
Katie janeway and Halo, thank you for your reviews. My friend is happy about her reviews to The real Nancy Drew world, I think. At least she didn't kill me...(I suggest you all read it, it's brilliant!) To anonymous 327( for review to The real Nancy Drew world) : Get used to this, there'll be more insults coming from me;)... ------------------------------------------------------------ Frank and Biff were walking downtown in the evening both on their way home.  
  
'Joe's just so strange, I hardly know him sometimes' Frank complained.  
  
'Yeah, well, he's no kid. You can't expect him to always being the sweet, little, blond-haired, blue-eyed Joe' Biff said and looked after a girl wearing a very short skirt.  
  
'Is Callie still angry?' Frank asked.  
  
Biff nodded. 'What happened between you, guys?'  
  
'We broke up, I'm with Nancy now.' Frank said.  
  
'Wow, wow, wait a minute! Are you and Callie not together anymore! That happens a little fast, you've been together for so long...Hey! That means that she's available! Of course, that's what's Joe was talking about!' Biff nearly yelled.  
  
Frank stopped. 'What are you...-What was Joe talking about?' he asked.  
  
'He only said that Callie was available, ' Biff answered.  
  
They kept on walking. 'Let me get this straight,' Biff said, 'You're with Nancy, you broke up with Callie, which makes her available and nobody told me! I thought she was getting depressed or something. Excuse me, Frank, I need to go and comfort someone...' Biff said and run off.  
  
(I always thought that Biff and Callie belonged together, I don't know what you think...but I have the feeling you don't like it, hope I'm wrong...)  
  
Frank shook his head. Suddenly he saw someone he knew, or maybe didn't knew but had seen before, Randy Cline. He was coming out of a sportstore.  
  
Frank watched him closely and noticed a wound on his face. Dr. Miller's words came up in Frank's mind.  
  
'. she tried to resist but the murderer was stronger. She also has blood under her fingernail and it isn't hers.'  
  
Frank shut his eyes and tried to imagine the situations.  
  
If Sarah would have been lying down and her brother had been on the top of her and she tried to resist by, maybe, scratch him in the face, she would have done it with her left hand.because the wound was on the right side of Randy's face.  
  
Frank tried to remember which hand had the blood under the nail. He was almost sure that it was the left hand. It fitted quite well. But he was going to talk to him next day anyway.  
  
He went home where Nancy waited with a good dinner. ------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'Hey, Nancy. Can you come with me to the Needle-eye factory?' Frank asked.  
  
'Sure' where's Joe?' Nancy asked back.  
  
'He said he was going to Cline's house, I don't know why, he didn't say' Frank answered.  
  
'Doesn't his girlfriend live there?' Nancy said.  
  
'Luise!?' Frank thought about it. Maybe Joe had some feelings for her...that was strange, well, none of his business.  
  
'I called Mr. Cline earlier and he told me Randy works with him in the Needle-eye factories, he had a break at 3 o'clock. We can go to him then. Until then we have the day to ourselves.' he said and kissed her on the shoulder.  
  
'What can we do 'til then?' Nancy said and thought.  
  
'I've got an idea...' Frank began.  
  
-'I know! Why don't we talk to Mr. Cline's other children?' Nancy suggested.  
  
'That's not exactly what I had in mind' Frank said.  
  
Nancy grinned. 'Well, I think it's a good idea, come on.'  
  
Frank sighed. 'Fine...'  
  
The phone rang.  
  
Nancy answered. 'Hello?'  
  
-'Hello, who is this?' a male voice asked.  
  
-'Nancy Drew, but this is Frank's Hardy home' Nancy answered.  
  
-'Nancy Drew? Carson Drew's daughter?'  
  
-'Yes.'  
  
-'Well, is Frank there?'  
  
-'Yes, I'll get him.'  
  
Nancy handed the phone to Frank.  
  
'Hello?'  
  
-'Hello, Frank, how are you?'  
  
-'Collig, hi, I'm fine. Did dad tell you about his idea?'  
  
-'Yes, he did I like it and you have Carson's Drew daughter with you. It can't be better. You'll remember to report everything you find out.'  
  
-'Of course.'  
  
-'Good and we'll tell you what we have so you can work with all information you'll get, ok?'  
  
-'Yes, understood.'  
  
-'Well, I already have something for you.'  
  
Frank pretended to be writing.  
  
Nancy understood the sign and handed him a pen and a notebook.  
  
'Ok, Ezra, what have you got?' he asked and held the phone to his ear with his shoulder.  
  
-'Mr. Morton found an empty helicopter a few miles away from his farm, (doesn't he still live in a farm outside Bayport??) it was a big W on it, like on the gun bullet your father found...'  
  
-'I remember it. What do we have to do?'  
  
-'It helps if you can find a company which produces helicopters and weapons and probably begins with W. And then find some connections between those two things we're dealing with. But of course everybody will be working on that.'  
  
-'We'll do our best. Anything else?'  
  
-'No, not this time. Did you have any plans for the day?'  
  
-'Me and Nancy, we're going to talk to Randy Cline but Joe sneaked off, maybe I can ask him to search for the company.'  
  
-'That would be very good. You'll talk to me or your dad tonight, alright?'  
  
-'Yes. Goodbye.'  
  
-'Goodbye.'  
  
'What was that?' Nancy asked.  
  
'A project for Joe' Frank answered. -----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Few minutes past 2 Frank and Nancy went to the Needle-eye factory.  
  
The factory's buildings were placed outside Bayport.  
  
All around them were five metres high steal wire fence and a lot of guards, some of them with big dogs...  
  
Nancy gulped.  
  
The guards opened the gate for Frank, of course there was no need to look for anything dangerous in his car but Nancy noticed that they looked suspiciously at her.  
  
Frank placed the car in the parking lot. He and Nancy stepped out of the car.  
  
They walked into the main building.  
  
'Good morning' Frank said to the receptionist, 'We're here to talk to Mr. Cline.'  
  
'He's in his office' she said and smiled.  
  
'Um, Mr. Cline jr.?' Frank asked.  
  
-'Oh, yes. He's there too, they're waiting for you.'  
  
-'Thank you.'  
  
Frank knew where the office was and didn't need any help to get there.  
  
He knocked at the door.  
  
'Come on in' a familiar voice said from inside.  
  
Frank opened the door. 'Mr. Cline? Hello.'  
  
'Hello, Frank, you needed to talk to my son, isn't it so?'  
  
Frank nodded.  
  
'That's true Mr. Cline. This is my partner, Nancy Drew.'  
  
William Cline shook hands with Nancy. 'Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cline' she said politely.  
  
'The pleasure is all mine. Well, I'll leave you alone now' Mr. Cline said.  
  
'Don't be too hard on him, he's very upset about this, Sarah was his sister after all..' he whispered to Frank.  
  
Frank nodded.  
  
'We will, sir, I promise.'  
  
-'Thank you.'  
  
Mr. Cline left the office.  
  
Frank turned to Randy who sat in his father's armchair. He looked very nervous.  
  
'Well, then Randy, can I call you Randy?'  
  
Randy nodded.  
  
'This is my partner, Nancy Drew' Frank said and pointed at Nancy.  
  
Randy nodded again. 'Hello' he said.  
  
-'Are you ok?'  
  
-'Yeah, of course, what could be wrong...beside that my dear sister was killed and you think I killed her.'  
  
Frank couldn't deny this. He cleared his throat.  
  
'Well, let's get this over with, you want that...so can you tell me where were you when your sister was murdered?'  
  
'I was in that nightclub.'  
  
Frank wasn't surprised.  
  
'With your sister?' he asked.  
  
'She didn't know I was there, I did this sometimes. Followed her into places, just to be sure if she was ok' Randy answered.  
  
'You really cared for her, didn't you?' Nancy thought Frank was a little cruel.  
  
-'Yes, I did, naturally.'  
  
-'What was your first thought when you found out that she was dead?'  
  
-'I couldn't believe it.'  
  
Nancy thought Frank was talking to him like a child though Randy was older than him but she didn't say anything.  
  
'I found files about when you put drugs into her drink and carried her to your car, why did you do it?' Frank asked, not thrilled to hear the answer.  
  
-'If you read this file closely, you may understand that I loved her, much more than a brother normally loves his sister..'  
  
-'Sexually?'  
  
-'I didn't say that. Sarah was a good friend to me, it was just pure love not necessarily sex.'  
  
-'What were you going to do to her in the car?'  
  
-'Nothing. I wanted to take her to some good place where I could tell her how I felt, then I start to feel guilty about the hole thing and I didn't think, I ran home, I was very drunk at the time and this made no sense...'  
  
Frank nodded. 'You can sure say that again' he said and sat down.  
  
Randy looked away, there were tears in his eyes.  
  
Nancy took over.  
  
'Randy, what happened to your face?' she asked.  
  
'I had a fight' he answered.  
  
'When?' Nancy asked.  
  
Randy seemed to feel better under Nancy's soft eyes and not accusing voice. 'On Saturday' he answered.  
  
Nancy looked at Frank. He nodded. The Day...  
  
'Who did you fight with?'  
  
'Some guys, I don't know who they were' Randy answered.  
  
-'Was there a reason for this fight?'  
  
Randy thought. 'Maybe not, maybe I was talking to someone's girlfriend, I don't know'  
  
-'Was it at the Fanclub?'  
  
Randy nodded, knowing that it put him in danger.  
  
-'Were you looking after your sister?'  
  
-'Well, I knew she was there but I'm over her' he answered, not very convincingly. 'The main reason I was there, is that this is the hottest place.'  
  
-'But you saw your sister, what was she doing?'  
  
-'She was flirting with some guys as usually.'  
  
-'How did that make you feel?'  
  
-'Maybe a little jealous.'  
  
-'Were you and Sarah friends when she was murdered?'  
  
-'Well...we...um'  
  
-'What?'  
  
-'We had a little argue before but that was nothing.'  
  
-'What were you arguing about?'  
  
-'She said I was following her and she didn't like it and something like that, I wasn't following her!'  
  
-'Where did you and those guys fight?' Frank suddenly cut in.  
  
-'Outside' Randy answered.  
  
Frank nodded. He remembered Joe had said to Collig he didn't noticed any fights but on the other hand he wasn't trying to notice it.  
  
'I think this is it for now but we'll talk again sometime' Frank said and stood up and shook Randy's hand so did Nancy and then they went out.  
  
When Nancy had closed the door, Randy put his hands over his face and let the tears stream silently down his cheeks.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------- 


	11. Walker and Jennings

11. Chapter: Walker and Jennings... -------------------------------------------------- Here comes another chapter!!! Halo and Katie janeway, thanks a lot for your reviews!!! -------------------------------------------------------  
  
Frank stopped the car in a parking lot outside the park.  
  
He had called Joe and told him to meet him there.  
  
He saw his brother where he was sitting at a table with Luise, Biff and Callie.  
  
'That's just great!' Frank thought.  
  
'Hi, Frank, Nancy! Where have you been?' Joe said loudly with a big smile.  
  
'We were talking to Randy Cline' Frank answered.  
  
'Ah, I see. How did it go?' Joe asked.  
  
'He was terribly nervous' Nancy said.  
  
Frank looked at Callie. She looked at him too and then at Biff.  
  
'Ice cream?' Joe asked.  
  
Frank and Nancy both nodded.  
  
Joe went off.  
  
'Luise? How are you?' Frank asked after a while of silence.  
  
'I'm fine, thank you. Were you scaring poor Randy to death?' Luise answered.  
  
'We weren't trying but he seemed pretty scared' Nancy said and took the ice cream that Joe, who had in the meanwhile returned, handed her.  
  
'If he is innocent he doesn't have to be scared of anything' Frank said and took his ice cream.  
  
Joe sat down beside Luise. 'Let's not talk about this, ok?' he said.  
  
'One more thing before we stop it, Joe, you need to find a company that begins with the letter W and produces weapons and helicopters' Frank said.  
  
'Oh, computer work...' Joe said and looked at Callie, who smiled at him.  
  
'Yes, Joe, anytime' she answered before he asked.  
  
-'Thank you.'  
  
'If she's going to help you I want to help too' Biff said and put his arm around Callie.  
  
Frank watched them surprised.  
  
'Sure Biff, you're the first I call when I need to fight with my body' Joe answered and grinned.  
  
Callie put her head on Biff's shoulder and looked at Frank with a grin on her face.  
  
'Well, I've got to get going' Luise said and kissed Joe. They looked in each others eyes for a moment and smiled. Then she stood up and went away.  
  
Frank watched Joe. 'I thought you weren't going to see her' he said.  
  
Joe shrugged. 'Forget what you thought' he answered.  
  
'What were you saying about some company...?' he asked.  
  
'Yes, it's a W on the gun bullet and the helicopter that attacked us was found near Morton farm and it had W on it too. You need to find the company that produces both and, well, I guess it begins with W' Frank explained.  
  
Joe nodded.  
  
'Guys, I don't know if you can use it but I remember there was some company..um, Walker &.. I can't remember the other guys name, but, anyway. They fought about the company and something like that..oh, well. You can find the rest on the internet' Biff said.  
  
'Thanks, man. Can you remember this, Callie?' Joe asked.  
  
She nodded. 'Yeap, Walker, company, fights, anything else?' -------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Joe, Biff and Samantha sat in Callie's room, while she was finding the company.  
  
She found a lot of results when she typed in 'Walker' in on the search web.  
  
'Ok, here's something. Walker and Jennings, after their weapon production company failed they fought about the little money they had profited. Jennings was from a rich family but there was some family argue going on. Walker, on the other hand had nothing but this company and after it's failure he had lost everything. He had a wife and two children, Julia and...' Callie stopped reading.  
  
'What?' Joe asked.  
  
'I'm not sure if you want to hear this, Joe, but the other daughter's name is Luise...'  
  
'That doesn't have to mean anything' Joe said 'I'm sure there are many Luises.'  
  
'Actually, Luise, is a very rare name.. what's her family name?' Callie asked.  
  
Joe and Luise had never talked about her family. And the fact that she worked with a weapon company director...  
  
'Maybe it's just a coincidence' Joe said a little angrily.  
  
'You don't know her family name, we can't say for certain if they are the same person' Biff said to make his friend feel better.  
  
Joe sighed.  
  
'Well, how is the end of the story?' he asked.  
  
'Oh, yes' Callie kept reading the article. 'Jennings hired a hatchet man to 'secure' his wealth. The family had actually done so before when a similar fight happened. Walker's wife, swore to revenge her husband in public. Here's a picture of her with her daughters...'  
  
Everybody leaned forward to take a closer look at the picture.  
  
'OK, this is getting really complicated' Samantha said.  
  
Joe nodded. 'That's true.' He wasn't sure if this was Luise on the photograph. She was too young on it.  
  
'Can you put this on a floppy disc for me?' he asked Callie.  
  
'Sure, no problem' she answered. ---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'This is confusing' Fenton Hardy said after reading the article about Walker. 'You don't know your Luise's family name?'  
  
Joe shook his head. 'Dad, IF she's a criminal she'll go to jail, right?'  
  
'I don't know, Joe. It depends on how bad crime the crime was. And in this case we have murders, so it's pretty bad' Fenton answered.  
  
'Nancy wouldn't go to jail for killing someone' Joe mumbled.  
  
-'Pardon me?'  
  
-'Nothing.' ---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A man waited upon a hill over Bayport. Another man appeared behind him.  
  
'They're not safe anymore' he said.  
  
The man who had been waiting nodded. 'Stick to the plan.' ------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	12. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

12. Chapter: BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!  
  
------------------------------------------------------  
  
To disgusted: You have a letter below the chapter.  
  
To Katie janeway: Thank you for the review, wouldn't you say that those guys were the bad guys?  
  
To everyone: It's possible that I write some detail or something important and forget it, if it happens remind me, please, thanks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Many police officers, Collig and all the Hardys followed Mr. Morton and Chet to the helicopter that they had found.  
  
The area was determinate. There was nothing useful in the helicopter. Not even fingerprints.  
  
'Why would anyone land a helicopter here?' Frank wondered.  
  
'Who knows?' Joe said.  
  
'The one who did it' Frank suggested and grinned.  
  
'You like doing this don't you?' Joe asked his brother.  
  
Fenton and Collig came to them after checking out the helicopter.  
  
'This is so hopeless' Fenton complained. 'I think we're dealing with two cases and this has nothing to do with the murder of the teen girl.'  
  
'That's a chance' Collig said.  
  
'Guys, if no one of you can't solve this, nobody else can' Chet said and watched some men investigate every spot of the ground around the helicopter.  
  
Suddenly someone screamed. 'There's a bomb in there!!!'  
  
Everybody reacted quickly and ran away from the helicopter.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
'Are you sure it was a bomb, O'Brian?' Collig asked after a while.  
  
The police officer nodded. 'I've seen many bombs, sir.'  
  
'Then explain to me why it doesn't blow?' Collig said calmly.  
  
'I believe this is a bomb which is controlled by a remote control' officer O'Brian answered.  
  
'Why are we running?' a young officer asked. He and some other officers walked slowly towards the helicopter.  
  
O'Brian ran to them. 'Hey! Come back here! This isn't safe...!'  
  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
An explosion thundered through the air. Steal plates from the helicopter flew all around. Something hit Frank's head.  
  
'Ouch!!' he yelled.  
  
Collig, Fenton and Frank were shocked. They stood still and stared at the leftovers of the helicopter in flames. Frank took up the thing that hit his head. It was a police badge. The name E. O'Brian was buried into it.  
  
Joe put his hand on Chet's shoulder because he was shaking.  
  
'It's all right, buddy' he said. 'Or not' he thought.  
  
Collig woke up from the trance. 'Everyone, gather here!'  
  
His order was silently followed.  
  
Collig counted his men. There were five missing. He looked back at the leftovers.  
  
'Oh, my God' he mumbled 'I can't believe this.'  
  
He looked at Fenton.  
  
'I think we should go home now' he said.  
  
Collig nodded. 'You're right' he said.  
  
Fenton announced it to everybody.  
  
The Hardys went with the Mortons to the farm where Fenton's car was.  
  
Mrs. Morton came running out of the house to her husband and son.  
  
'I heard an explosion. What happened!?' she asked frightened.  
  
'There was a bomb in the helicopter' Mr. Morton said with a shaking voice.  
  
'What? That's terrible! Are everyone all right?' she asked and hugged her husband and son.  
  
'Five men died' Fenton answered.  
  
'Oh, my God!' Mrs. Morton mumbled and held Chet tightly in her arms. 'Honey, are you all right?!'  
  
Chet nodded. 'I think so, just shocked.'  
  
'Oh, well, you're a friend of the Hardys you've been into many things. How about you, love?' she asked Mr. Morton.  
  
'I'm Ok' he answered.  
  
-'And you?' she looked at Fenton and his sons.  
  
Fenton smiled weakly. 'We're just fine' he answered.  
  
'Bye, guys' Chet said and followed his mother into the house.  
  
'Bye, see you later' Frank said.  
  
He went into his father's car and he drove him home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Fenton and Joe were eating dinner. Laura and Gertrude were terrified. The news had reported the explosion.  
  
'Dad, you don't think that those two cases connect?' Joe asked.  
  
'It's so different. The murder seems to be some mistakes and those attacks on the police could be a terrorist organisation or something' Fenton answered.  
  
Joe thought. 'But there are connections, Sarah is William's Cline's daughter and he works with the police and there has been made two attacks on the police and...do you see my point?'  
  
Fenton sighed. 'Yes, Joe, we´ll talk about it tomorrow. If I hear one word about work I put the one, who said, it under arrest, right away.'  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
To disgusted!: Sorry, but is Joe your cousin or something? No need to take it so seriously. Anyway, about Joe doing all those bad things, you say: He doesn't this, he doesn't do that, well, he does. Can't you see it, I wrote it, though he doesn't do these things in the books, he does here. And I know that the characters are out of characters but they are suppose to be, except Nancy, she was a mistake. But in other you're right, I'm not happy myself about how terribly unexciting the whole story is, it probably won't be exciting 'til the end of it, I'm afraid, and I have only read a few hardcover books and one, two, casefiles. In the harcovers, the Hardy brothers were so boringly perfect in everyway it was driving me crazy so I changed them to be the complete opposite to what they really are or actually I made many versions of them, this is one version. Maybe I put in other version sometime. That's all. But of course everyone have their own opinion. 


	13. Easy day

Chapter 13: Easy day  
  
To Katie janeway: Thank you for the review, not everyone can be smart : /  
  
To anonymous 327: Yes, I do know Joe is out of character but again, that's a huge part of the story.  
  
Once again, I'm sorry if there are any spelling or grammar errors.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'Are you sure you're ok?' Nancy asked.  
  
'Of course' Frank answered.  
  
'Hey, we forgot to talk to Cline's other children, we can do that today' Nancy said.  
  
Frank nodded.  
  
'Do you think Joe is a little weird these days?' he asked.  
  
'Is it killing you?' Nancy asked back.  
  
'No, I'm just not used to him like that.'  
  
'Maybe he's getting smarter than you' Nancy said teasing.  
  
Frank stared at her. 'No, he's not, no way.'  
  
Nancy laughed. 'You are such an egoist.'  
  
-'Am I?'  
  
-'Yeah.'  
  
The phone rang.  
  
Frank sighed. 'Why does people always call so early?'  
  
'Hello?'  
  
-'Hello, Frank. Did I wake you up?' his fathers voice asked.  
  
-'No, dad I was awake, is something wrong?' Frank asked.  
  
-'No but I'm going to send you an email, check it out.'  
  
-'OK, dad.'  
  
-'Goodbye.'  
  
Frank hung up.  
  
'Are you always woken up by a telephone ringing?' Nancy asked.  
  
'No not usually but it has happened often these days' Frank answered.  
  
He went out of bed and got dressed.  
  
Then he turned on his computer. The email was the files about Walker and Jennings, that Callie had found for Joe.  
  
Frank read it. Nancy read it too over his shoulder.  
  
Of course they thought that this Luise was the same one who was dating Joe.  
  
Frank took his cell phone and called his father.  
  
'Dad?'  
  
-'Frank, have you read it?'  
  
-'Yes. I think I know this Luise.'  
  
-'Your brothers girlfriend? Yes, I called Mr. Cline earlier and he said that Luises family name was McStevenson not Walker.'  
  
-'The name could be false.'  
  
-'We'll see. Something else you found there.'  
  
-'Well, I was thinking, maybe, if the murder of Sarah was to get to Mr .Cline, you know. Because of his job or something because he works for the police, maybe there are connections' Frank said.  
  
-'Yes, that might be' Fenton said obviously interested.  
  
'I'll try to work on it...'  
  
Joe snorted, he was listening on the phone on the hallway outside his bedroom. Now his dad was listening! He hung up quietly and therefore he didn't hear the end of the sentence.  
  
'...actually, Joe mentioned that last night but I didn't have time to do more about it' -------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'Fenton Hardy!' Gertrude shouted.  
  
Fenton and Joe came running to her where she was standing in the hall.  
  
'What is this?' she asked.  
  
Joe looked down on the floor. There was a little piece of paper on the rug.  
  
He squatted down and read what was typed on the paper piece.  
  
'Where the sun goes down we come from and surround you in shadows, dot, dot, dot, specially if you won't stay out of things that are none of your business' he read.  
  
Fenton snorted and said ironically: 'Oooo! I'm so scared. Are they trying to give us some clue or are they trying to scare us?' he wondered out loud.  
  
'And then again, who are THEY?' Joe asked.  
  
'If we are dealing with two cases we must find out which enemy sent this' Fenton.  
  
'Either way, he is very poetic' Joe said and stood up.  
  
'I never get the point of doing things like that' Fenton said. 'Gertrude, would you be so kind to get me pliers?'  
  
'Joe, could you go to the neighbours and ask then if they heard something, noise from a car maybe?'  
  
Joe nodded.  
  
Gertrude handed her brother pliers, which he used to take the little piece of paper to investigate it better.  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Joe was back in a few minutes. He ran up to his father's office. 'Nothing. No one saw anything or heard anything' he said.  
  
'Damn! There are no finger prints, well, I didn't expect them to be that stupid' Fenton mumbled.  
  
'Does this make any sense at all?' Fenton asked and read.  
  
Joe shook his head. 'Are you asking me? Maybe some poet can answer that, no wait!'  
  
He took the paper piece. 'Where the sun goes down, the sun goes down in the west...maybe...I don't know...'  
  
'Hey, Joe you might be right! Maybe this has something to do with the Westside of the USA or Asia, or maybe Australia' Fenton said.  
  
Joe smiled proudly. 'Yes, maybe' he thought.  
  
-'We'll ask Cline if he understands this.'  
  
-'Are you going to call him?'  
  
-'No, your mother invited the Cline-couple for a visit so we could have a little chat with them, which reminds me of something, Joe, would you call Frank. I want him to be here when they come..'  
  
Joe was surprised. 'Invited them here? I didn't know' he said while thinking: 'How the hell did that happen?' 


	14. More of the Clines

14. chapter: More of Clines...  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The Hardy family, Nancy Drew and the Cline-couple sat in the livingroom with cups of coffee.  
  
'You have no information yet?' Mr. Cline asked.  
  
'Not much, I'm afraid. Well, we've got bunch of useless stuff but we can't seem to find any context in it' Fenton Hardy answered.  
  
'Tell me something' Mr. Cline said with a determined voice.  
  
Fenton gave Frank a sign by nodding to him.  
  
'OK, we know that there existed a weapon factory and it's weapons are still in use though the company was closed long ago. It's directors were Walker and Jennings and Walker was killed by Jennings...'  
  
-'I'm sorry but what does that have to do with my daughters murder?' Mr. Cline interrupt.  
  
'Yes, Mr. Cline I'm just there. You see Walker had a daughter named Luise. And the Luise who's working for you, a weapon company director might, and I said might, be the same' Frank explained.  
  
Joe was obviously not happy about this and watched his brother coldly.  
  
Mr. Cline wasn't happy either. 'Mr. Hardy, Luise is a good girl, she has always been good to us besides her family name is McStevenson but...'  
  
'Mrs. Hardy, this is such a lovely wooden table, is it antique?' Mrs. Cline cut in. She didn't like those conversation.  
  
Laura Hardy smiled. 'It was my great-great-great-grandmother's.'  
  
Mrs. Cline nodded. 'Beautiful' she said.  
  
Fenton Hardy smiled politely. 'I'm sorry Mrs. Cline you don't have to listen to this, Laura why don't you take her to the garden or show her your antique collection?'  
  
'That's a good idea. Mrs. Cline?'  
  
The two women stood up.  
  
'Nancy? Are going with the ladies or stay here?' Fenton asked.  
  
'I'm not a lady. I think I'll be with you, guys' Nancy answered.  
  
-'Yes, Mr. Cline, what were you saying?'  
  
'Yes, my wife's family name is Jennings...' Mr. Cline said.  
  
Fenton and Frank glanced at each other.  
  
'Is it so? And you knew this particular Jennings?' Frank asked excited, now things were getting together.  
  
'I never met him but he was Rose's older brother. He had a weapon production company ' Mr. Cline answered.  
  
Frank and Nancy both felt their stomachs tighten.  
  
'Really' Fenton Hardy said slowly. Then he looked at Joe. 'I've got to say that it doesn't look too good for your friend Luise.'  
  
Joe was quiet. 'Do you think she's looking for revenge?'  
  
Fenton shrugged. 'It's possible.'  
  
'Then proof that she is this Walker-girl' Joe demanded.  
  
'Sure, we'll ask FBI' Fenton answered. 'We'll look for Luise McStevenson, let's see what they'll find, OK?'  
  
Joe nodded.  
  
-'But I need you to be with her. You can get a lot of information if Walker is her family name, if you get that close.'  
  
-'You mean to betray her?'  
  
Fenton wasn't sure how to answer. Joe and Vanessa had broke up for three or four months ago and he had been strange ever since then. And though he liked to fool around he could be a very nice boy...man. Well, enough time to talk to him about it.  
  
'We'll talk to Collig and he can contact FBI if he doesn't have anything in his database' he said.  
  
Joe stood up. 'Excuse me' he said. Then he went upstairs to his room and everybody downstairs could hear the door slam.  
  
'What do you think of this?' Frank asked.  
  
'I don't like Joe's reaction. I wish he didn't have those feelings for Luise. Then he could pretend and don't care though she'd go to jail' Fenton answered.  
  
'Forgive me Fenton, but you're cold-hearted' Nancy said.  
  
'You're right, Nance, I got a little vehement, I take that back' Fenton said in an excusing tone.  
  
'Let's not take the subject further. Um, Mr. Cline, you have had business in the Westside of USA in San Francisco, Diego and Portland, isn't it so? But have you ever had connections to Asia or maybe Australia in business or within the family?' Fenton suddenly asked.  
  
'Not much to Asia but my lineage is originally Australian and my son Christopher lives there now with his wife' Mr. Cline answered.  
  
-'Is that all?'  
  
Cline nodded.  
  
'Er, dad where did that come from?' Frank asked.  
  
'Oh, yes. I forgot to tell you but someone sent us a threat this morning' Fenton answered.  
  
'What! What did it say?' Frank asked.  
  
'It was very stupid' Fenton answered. 'It was something like 'Where the sun goes down..' something like that, I can't remember. It could have been stolen from a Shakespere play.'  
  
'Can I take a look at it?' Frank asked.  
  
'Sure, I'll get it' his father answered and stood up.  
  
'I'm not sure if I want to believe that Luise isn't honest to me' William Cline said.  
  
'Mr. Cline it's only a chance we can't risk not to take it. Maybe she's totally innocent' Frank said to try to comfort him.  
  
'Is anyone else suspected?' Cline asked. 'You've been focusing rather much on us. My son and Luise, I hope you won't think of that I'm the criminal?' he asked sharply.  
  
-'Of course not Mr. Cline, like I said, we're just checking the possibilities.'  
  
'Mr. Cline, are you sure you can't think of anyone else who has a reason for doing this?' Nancy asked.  
  
'No, I can't' Cline answered. 'I don't understand it. Sarah was a wonderful girl, never did anything to anybody.'  
  
'Since you say your wife is a Jennings, it's possible that the Walker- sisters are trying to get to her which means that she and her children are in danger...and it doesn't have to be Luise...' Nancy added.  
  
Mrs. Hardy and Mrs. Cline returned to the livingroom and heard Nancy's last words.  
  
'What were you talking about Luise?' Rose Cline asked.  
  
'They think she murdered Sarah' Mr. Cline said.  
  
'She wouldn't! She's very loyal' Mrs. Cline said with a determined voice.  
  
Frank and Nancy realized they had upset the couple and both shut their mouths.  
  
'More coffee, anyone?' Mrs. Hardy asked.  
  
Everyone heard the door open. And then some mutter.  
  
Laura stood up. 'Gertrude! Just in time for a cup of coffee!'  
  
'You can't believe this!' Gertrude said loudly. 'Oh, I didn't know we had visitors!'  
  
'Aunt, this is Mr. William Cline and his wife Rose, Mr. Cline this is my aunt Gertrude' Frank said.  
  
Gertrude shook hands with them as they exchanged "pleasure to meet yous".  
  
Then she sat down and poured coffee into a cup for herself.  
  
'Now, what were you saying?' Frank asked. 'I'm always curious about your adventures.'  
  
'I was walking from Mrs. O'Donnel and this man appears just like that, in front of my nose and orders me follow him. I deny, of course and then he yells and some other man appear like him and stands behind me and the first one says I must follow them. So I did and where do you think they lead me? To the door, here!' Gertrude said.  
  
'Yes, I'm sorry about that, sister, it was my fault, I don't want anyone to be on their own but your always on you're own so I asked some plain- clothed officers to make sure you'd get your ways safely, I've done that before' Fenton, who had returned from his office, explained. 'And for a good reason, the threat note is missing. I can't find it. I know I put it in the drawer but it isn't there but that's impossible. There's no window in the room and I was sitting opposite to the living room entry and no one could have sneaked inside the door and went upstairs with out a sound.'  
  
Frank was surprised. 'That's really strange, are you sure you put it into the drawer?'  
  
'100 % and in case I looked in other places too' Fenton answered.  
  
'Those guys are good' Nancy said.  
  
'I'm sorry to interrupt' Mr. Cline said. 'But do you have some...guards around us too?'  
  
'There are surveillance cameras around your house, yes' Fenton answered.  
  
Mr. Cline nodded. Then he looked at his watch. 'Oh. Look at the time. Rose, dear, I think we should get going now. Thank you for inviting us here' he said and stood up. So did his wife, they shook hands with everybody and left the house. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 


	15. Meet me

15. Chapter: Meet me... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Katie janeway, I really, really appreciate that you read my story, thanks a lot for your reviews. Here's another chapter for you! Rather short though. Sorry, I haven't updated for a while.  
  
RING!!!!! RING!!!!!  
  
Fenton picked up the phone. 'Fenton Hardy speaking' he said.  
  
'Hello, Mr. Hardy. This is William Cline, um, we have a problem' Mr. Cline said seriously.  
  
Fenton put the phone to the other ear and sat down, knowing that it's was the best thing to do when people talked in the tone Mr. Cline was talking in now. It was the evening after the Cline's visit.  
  
'Well, what is it?' he asked.  
  
'Luise ran off. She hasn't come home all day and we just thought she had gone shopping or something but then Rose started to get worried so she went into Luise's room and...All the closets and the drawers were empty' Cline explained.  
  
'What? And she didn't leave anything behind to tell where she can be found?' Fenton asked.  
  
'Actually she left a note on her bed' Cline said.  
  
-'Have you moved it?'  
  
-'I'm afraid so, Rose brought it to me.'  
  
-'Oh...well' Fenton muttered and covered the disappointing in his voice. 'What does it say?'  
  
-'Dear Mr. and Mrs. Cline and Mr. Cline jr., thank you for everything but I must quit this job immediately no matter what, I'll never forget you and don't worry about my salary, I had last payment yesterday. Love, Luise.' Fenton rubbed his eyebrows. 'Joe has probably told her that she was suspected.'  
  
'If she was honest she would stay and defend her rights, this must mean she isn't that honest and became scared' Cline thought aloud.  
  
'Yes, I need to talk to my son about this, thank you for telling me...' Fenton answered.  
  
-'You're welcome. Anything to help. Hope you can help her. Goodnight, Mr. Hardy.'  
  
-'All right, Mr. Cline, goodnight. Goodbye.'  
  
They hung up.  
  
Fenton sighed.  
  
He walked to Joe's room and knocked at the door and went in.  
  
Joe sat at his desk and wrote something. He closed the bluebook when he heard his father.  
  
Fenton sat on the bed and cleared his throat. 'Have you talked to Luise?'  
  
Joe shook his head. 'No.'  
  
'Well, u-hum, Cline called. He said Luise had run off' Fenton said.  
  
Joe didn't say anything.  
  
'Look, I know you like her but...oh come on, Joe, you'd get over her just like any other girl' his father continued.  
  
Joe looked at him without a word.  
  
'Fine. Are you going out tonight?' Fenton asked.  
  
'No' Joe answered.  
  
-'All right, goodnight son.'  
  
Fenton went out of the room and closed the door behind him. -------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'Bill, bill, bill, bill, postcard, advertisement booklet, bill, bill, announce, and another bill!!' Gertrude counted as she checked all the mail. 'Oh, and a letter to Joe' she said and put the letter into Joe's outspreaded hand.  
  
The Hardy family was eating breakfast. Joe had been very silent all morning. Gertrude had woken up at 7 o'clock a.m. and woke everyone else up with the noise from the vacuum. But like she said, it wasn't good for people to sleep too long.  
  
Joe ripped the envelope and took the letter from it and read it silently.  
  
'How romantic' His aunt said, she had been reading over his shoulder.  
  
'What? A fan letter?' Laura asked and grinned.  
  
'No, it's from Luise' Joe said and grinned.  
  
'Really' his father said. 'What does she say?'  
  
'She wants to meet me, if you really have to know' Joe answered.  
  
'Um, interesting. Where?' Fenton asked innocently.  
  
Joe sighed. 'Why should I tell you?'  
  
-'Why not?'  
  
-'Maybe because you would set the police on her, duh!'  
  
Fenton shrugged. 'Fine.'  
  
Joe looked at the letter in his hand and then at his father and he noticed the way he looked at it.  
  
'Don't be silly' he said and crinkled the letter in his hand.  
  
'That's going to the dustbin and I'm going and don't you try any tricks, got that?' Joe said and stood up and threw the letter to the dustbin.  
  
Fenton grinned but nodded.  
  
'Be careful, honey' Laura said and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
-'Of course, when am I not?'  
  
Joe went out of the house, sat on his motorcycle and started it and then he rushed off. ---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
There wasn't much traffic, everybody were working at this time, so Joe could really speed!  
  
He always enjoyed driving his motorcycle, on a good speed he felt free like the flying bird with the wind ruffling his hair(he sometimes broke the rule about helmets).  
  
He looked in the rear-view mirror. There were two cars right behind him. The drivers were very determined looking.  
  
Joe laughed to himself. 'Boring people' he thought.  
  
After a while, pretty long while, those same two cars were still behind him.  
  
Joe switched lane. The cars behind did not repeat that but Joe saw the other driver watch him closely. 'Odd' he thought. 'Wait a minute...' He remembered the plain-clothed bodyguards that his father had let mount guard everyone in the family. He sighed. 'Damn.'  
  
He drove faster. Another of the two cars went faster too the other kept his speed.  
  
He drove a little faster. Then more faster, and faster, and faster...  
  
Joe was now in dangerous speed but forgot it while he was worrying about the men who were following him.  
  
He slid between the few cars that were on the street.  
  
The following cars couldn't do that but the other driver tried to drive past a car but suddenly some car came out of a turn and BANG!!! It crashed the side of the car which was following Joe and pushed it on the car he had been trying to pass...  
  
The other car's driver stopped the car and ran out to look after his partner.  
  
Other car's drivers stopped too to see if anyone was hurt but Joe Hardy didn't wait to see. He heard and saw the crash in the rear-view mirror. 'Ouch' he said to himself and drove on.  
  
He drove out of Bayport and past Morton farm. He came to a big, long river, Galeriver. It was *with a very heavy current*(?) And on the bottom there was a lot of sanded rocks but not as much of sand so it wouldn't be good to fall to the river.  
  
Joe sat on a big rock on the waterside and waited for Luise. He didn't notice the car on the road that had been after him all the time. 


	16. Another point of view

16. Chapter: Anther point of view. ------------------------------------------------------------- Nope, doesn't look good! Let's continue! -------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As soon as Joe went out of the house Fenton called Frank.  
  
'Hello?'  
  
'Hi, dad. How are you?' Frank answered.  
  
'Fine, hey, Luise is gone' Fenton said.  
  
-'What? When?'  
  
-'Yesterday.'  
  
-'That's bad. What does Joe say?'  
  
-'Not much. She sent him a letter and asked him to meet her somewhere.'  
  
-'And...?'  
  
-'Can you do me a favour?'  
  
-'Maybe.'  
  
-'Go and see what she's up to.'  
  
-'But dad, I don't know where to go and besides, Joe will hate me forever if spy on him.'  
  
-'Please, Frank. We're doing this for him and I'll tell you where to go. I just want my son's secure.'  
  
-'Fine, fine, whatever. What do I do?'  
  
-'Oh, thank you. All right, you contact my, um, bodyguards and since I think they are following Joe you'll stay a little behind them, ok?'  
  
-'Got it. Give me the number.'  
  
Fenton gave Frank a cell phone number and they hung up after Frank had promised to let his father know if he was safe.  
  
'I can't believe I'm going to do this' he muttered.  
  
'What?' Nancy asked.  
  
'Dad wants me to spy on Joe' Frank answered.  
  
'Oh...Frank, I don't think that's a good idea' she said and sat down.  
  
'I know, I don't know what dad is thinking' Frank said sighed.  
  
'Well. He probably just wants his little boys to be safe' Nancy teased.  
  
-'Yeah, right, we're so little.' Frank stood up and stretched him arms behind his head.  
  
'Well, we're better get going' he said. He took the phone and called the number that his father gave him.  
  
He talked for less than a minute. 'Mondaystreet' he muttered. 'We'll be there. Thanks, bye.'  
  
'This is going to be fun' Frank said and put on his jacket. Then he opened the door and let Nancy out before him.  
  
There was a radiotelephone in Frank's car so he could stay in touch with other cars with a radiotelephone, the bodyguard's car for example.  
  
He, the bodyguard, had told Frank the number of the license plate so it could be easier to find him.  
  
'There they are' Nancy announced.  
  
Frank saw the two cars after the motorcycle.  
  
'Ok, stay a few cars behind' he mumbled.  
  
There were four or five cars between his and the guard's car.  
  
Joe seemed to realize that he was followed and speeded.  
  
The other bodyguard was to eager and went too close to the motorcycle.  
  
He tried to pass a car but then another car came out of turn and the three car crashed.  
  
'Ooouch, that hurts' Frank said and stopped the car.  
  
'Oh, my God!' Nancy said horrified and unfastened her seat belt.  
  
They both went out of the car and ran to the three ruin cars.  
  
Frank helped the body guard to pull his partner out of the car through the window.  
  
They placed him on the street. He had an open wound on his head and a lot of blood streamed from it, his nose was broken, and he was unconscious. Apart from that he seemed to be all right.  
  
Frank called an ambulance and the police anyway.  
  
After he excused his brother, he gave a driver, who was coming into the town, a sign to stop.  
  
The driver slid down the window.  
  
'Good morning, Mr.' Frank said. 'Have you come up against a young man driving a motorcycle?'  
  
The man in the car nodded, obviously knowing Frank. 'Yes, Mr. Hardy, I have. He was near the farm outside the town' he answered.  
  
'Thank you' Frank said.  
  
-'You're welcome.' He slid up the window and drove his way.  
  
'You'll take care of him?' Frank said to the bodyguard. He nodded.  
  
'Let's go, Nancy!' Frank said.  
  
They ran back to the car and drove off.  
  
When they were past the Morton farm Nancy slid down the window and looked closely at the landscape and tried to eye Joe in it.  
  
'Stop the car, Frank. Let's walk from here' she said.  
  
Frank obeyed and steered the car to the roadside.  
  
They went out of the car and walked upon a small hill near the road.  
  
They looked around. They saw Galeriver in front of them and heard the noise from it.  
  
Suddenly Nancy pulled Frank down. 'Look, there he is.'  
  
Frank peered, then he could see his brother sitting on a rock and obviously wait for something or someone.  
  
Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then both Joe and Frank and Nancy heard a sound from a car through the river's hiss.  
  
It came from the opposite way to Bayport. A small car stopped in the roadside. A woman stepped out of the car. Luise.  
  
Frank hoped she didn't see his car.  
  
He and Nancy watched her walk down to the waterside to Joe.  
  
Joe stood up when she came. They looked at each other for a moment and then fell into each others arms and kissed.  
  
They talked about something but Frank and Nancy couldn't hear it because of the water sound.  
  
Then they hugged and stood there hugging for a long time. Frank was beginning to yawn when he saw something silver stand out of Luise's sleeve, long, sharp, silver...  
  
'Oh, my God, Joe!!!!'  
  
Luise's hand flexed around the dagger she was holding to Joe's back like she didn't know if she should... and that gave Frank time to run as fast as he could to them.  
  
He clenched Luise's wrist and forced it back. 'Frank! What are you...?' Joe began angrily but his brother interrupt him.  
  
'Look' he said and showed him the dagger. 'She would have killed you...!'  
  
Frank looked at Luise but trailed off. It wasn't Luise, who stood there with Nancy behind her, holding her hands behind her back, but this woman whoever she was looked very much like Luise.  
  
Then Frank remembered her sister, Julia. Maybe that was Julia.  
  
Joe's face became dark. 'Are you spying on me?'  
  
'Dad's order' Frank answered. 'Who is this?' he asked, just to be sure.  
  
'A friend of mine' Joe answered.  
  
'A friend? What a friend!' Frank said and threw the dagger to the ground.  
  
Joe took it up and walked to the two women. 'Actually, I'd like you to explain this' he said.  
  
No one noticed that a grass lifted and a man came up from a trapdoor in the ground, he was carrying a gun... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	17. SWIM

17. Chapter: Swim!!!!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was thinking about hurrying this crap and maybe post two chapters at a time but soon I'll run out of emended chapters but 'til then I'm going to update every day or at least try to. I'm not sure if this chapter is emended, if not I hope you understand it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------  
  
'Joe, I wasn't going to, I couldn't! But, yes, I meant to betray you' Julia Walker said quietly and looked down.  
  
Joe nodded. 'But you didn't...'  
  
'I wonder why...' Frank muttered.  
  
Joe looked at him with the 'shut up' eyes.  
  
'Why?' he asked Julia.  
  
'Joe, you are a detective. It's in your blood, you never would've get me get away!' she said.  
  
Joe sighed. 'And I who thought you knew me, what a shame.'  
  
Suddenly Nancy yelled. 'Joe! Look out!!!'  
  
A gunstock was aimed to Joe's head but Frank turned around in time and kicked the man in the womb. He caved in, moaning.  
  
Another man came up from the hole and threw himself at Joe and they both fell into the river but before, the man grabbed Nancy and she fell to the river too. Julia watched Frank fight the first man on the waterside, without knowing what she was supposed to do.  
  
After some time she heard a siren and jumped to the river, without a thought.  
  
Finally when Frank was just about to give up he heard a voice from a megaphone.  
  
'Give up!' the voice shouted.  
  
The man held Frank to the ground and aimed a gun to his head.  
  
'Make me!' he screamed to the police.  
  
'I think you should drop this gun' a low female voice said.  
  
Frank felt the man, who was squatting on his back, stiffen. Then he heard the gun drop to the ground and he was relieved.  
  
Police officers came and arrested the man.  
  
Frank stood up and looked at the woman who had saved him.  
  
He was very surprised. 'Callie!?'  
  
Callie smiled though she was very pale. 'Ok, that was one of the coolest thing I've ever done, are you all right?'  
  
'Yes, I'm fine. Why are you here?'  
  
Callie looked down on the gun she was holding in her hand.  
  
'It's funny. You see, I was washing the dishes in the kitchen, and my cell phone rang and I answered it and I just heard those strange sounds and annoying hiss but no one on the line, then I heard some people talking, I knew your voices and heard your names and stuff. So I went to your dad and asked him to listen because no one hung up and we went to the police station and they traced the call and here we are, just took a minute to do it all!' Callie said proudly.  
  
Frank smiled weakly. 'Someone's cell phone has probably not been locked and pushed to something in the pocket so it called someone itself. Maybe was it mine' he took his cell phone from his pocket. It had obviously called to Callie.  
  
Frank pushed the 'hanging up button' and looked at his rescuer again. 'Thank you' he said.  
  
'You're welcome' she answered.  
  
-'So, we're friends?'  
  
-'Sure.'  
  
They walked together up to the road where the police was waiting with Fenton Hardy, Biff Hooper and Chet Morton.  
  
Biff and Chet ran to them. The man who had attacked Frank was carefully steered into the police car.  
  
'Wow, Callie! You're good, that was cool! How are you Frank?' Biff asked and hugged Callie.  
  
'I'm fine, thanks to Callie and my cell phone' Frank answered and smiled.  
  
'I should be a detective, don't you think?' Callie asked Biff when Chet and Frank had gone to Mr. Hardy and chief Collig.  
  
'That's a good idea!' Biff said and nibbled her earlap. 'That means you can keep handcuffs in your house...'  
  
'Frank! Are you all right?!' Fenton and Ezra Collig both yelled to Frank who was walking towards them.  
  
'I'm ok. Where's Nancy? And Joe and the others?' Frank asked worried.  
  
Fenton and Collig looked at each other. Collig cleared his throat.  
  
'You don't know?' he asked.  
  
Frank looked at him, then at his father and at last at Chet.  
  
'No, I don't.'  
  
'We haven't seen them at all' Chet said. 'Who are 'the others'?'  
  
'The man who first attacked us, and the girl, I think it's Julia' Frank answered.  
  
'Ok, I'm not sure what you mean, but...' Chet began.  
  
-'Dad! I'm almost sure it was Julia Walker, she was very much like Luise but it wasn't her!' Frank said.  
  
Fenton nodded. 'Yes, that's clear, because there's no Luise McStevenson. And this fake Luise, or Julia, may be dead, I think they fell to the river...' he said.  
  
Frank gaped. He looked at the heavy streamed river and hoped that there were no rapids in it where his brother and girlfriend could scrunch to death.  
  
'We'll send some people along the river to search for them' Collig said. 'That's all we can do now.' ------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
*Lower down along the river*(that might not be the right words) Nancy Drew came around. She blinked a few times. She tried to move but couldn't. She was all wet and most of her body was under cold water. She laid on a big rock that stood up from the river. Her mind was completely empty.  
  
Suddenly she felt hands on her, checking if she was whole. That brought little thoughts in her head.  
  
She thought of a hot cup of tea, and then about her friends home in River heights-river! She was in a river.  
  
The hands carried her to the waterside and laid her on something soft.  
  
It was dark and she couldn't see a thing.  
  
She heard some people talk together unclearly. She thought of Frank and Joe and where they were, especially Frank.  
  
Her chest ached terribly. She peered when someone turned on a powerful flashlight. It completely blinded her.  
  
Nancy felt her shirt unbuttoned. Then hands touch her chest.  
  
'She has a broken rib' a female voice said. 'Turn of that light, will you?'  
  
Nancy blinked more. She still couldn't see much. She felt a gust on her head and realized how much it hurt to breath. Her teeth chattered.  
  
'What are we going to do with her?' a voice asked.  
  
'Why don't we just throw her back to the river?' another voice suggested.  
  
Nancy realized they were talking about her and became a little scared. This was not the rescue unit.  
  
'No' the third voice ordered. 'We'll keep her.'  
  
Nancy thought she knew this voice but wasn't sure though.  
  
'Our dear Nancy Drew may come to use' the voice continued.  
  
Now Nancy knew who it belonged to and she became very scared. 


	18. Memories

18. Chapter: Memories. ----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The Hardy family sat silent in their livingroom and worried about Joe and Nancy.  
  
The news had reported their disappearance. Fenton had called Carson Drew the same day they disappeared. Two days ago.  
  
The police had found the trapdoor in the ground on Galeriver's waterside. That was where the man that attacked them came from. But it wouldn't open and the police didn't risk to explode it. There could be people under it. It was made of thick steel so it was impossible to see through it. With a steel-search-machine it appeared to be a lot of steel in the ground. There could be some huge undergroundhost. Or an old mine!  
  
That wasn't what Laura Hardy was thinking about. She only knew that her younger son could be dead. His whole lifetime flew through her mind. Joe's first word, first steps, first day at school, he and Frank playing in the garden in the summer, when he and Iola were together, when he had his car license, the time before the brainwash...  
  
Fenton was thinking pretty much the same. Normally he and Frank wouldn't have give up searching but they had been searching without a stop for two days without a single clue. That was unusual and pulled down their courage. For some reason it came to Fenton's mind when Joe was kicked out of the police academy after a week. He didn't follow any orders at all and was too much into the violent solutions. Frank had quite a month after that, well, they would do better on their own...  
  
Frank was thinking about the case before their last case. He remembered everything like it had happened yesterday:  
  
------------------------- Joe looked nervously around. 'I have a bad feeling about this all.'  
  
'Yeah, so do I' Frank answered.  
  
'I wonder what all this stuff is for' Joe said and looked at all the machines, conduits, and wires all over the floor.  
  
The flashlights shafts moved around the hall.  
  
There was a elevated dais in one corner. Something was on it but it was covered with an old sheet. Joe went there.  
  
'What does the psycho keep here?' he muttered to himself and deprived the sheet of the thing.  
  
Under it there was an armchair, like an electric chair with something that looked like the hairdryer in the ladies' hairdresser (it's like a big bowl, you know?), over it.  
  
'It's like from a horror film. Leave it, Joe. It gets me goose pimps to watch it, come on. He can't be far away' Frank said and walked over the hall to the only door there. He pushed it. Locked.  
  
Joe sat in the chair and grinned.  
  
All of a sudden the lights turned on and the hall became bright.  
  
Frank startled and turned around.  
  
Wires wrapped around Joe's wrist and held him thigh down on the chair.  
  
'Hey, what's that about?' Joe said surprised.  
  
The ' bowl' slowly subsided on his head.  
  
'Joe! Don't move!' Frank's voice came from somewhere.  
  
There wasn't very good view underneath the thing on Joe's head.  
  
'Well, well, little Hardys!' a voice came from a speaker.  
  
'I'm going to make your lives so miserable' the voice said coldly with creepy breaths.  
  
Frank tried to realize where the voice had come from.  
  
'Say goodbye to little brother' the voice said.  
  
Suddenly the bowl on Joe's head started to spin. Red shafts blinked on his face, then Frank heard a sound of someone getting an electric current and Joe yelled. 'Ouch!'  
  
Another electric current, another scream, that one's higher.  
  
'Help me, Frank!' Joe begged.  
  
Frank ran to him and tried to understand the machine's nature.  
  
The red shaft blinded his brother and the electric currents made him scream from pain.  
  
'What is it doing to him?' Frank asked himself over and over again.  
  
He tried to move the bowl but it pushed him away with electric current.  
  
Then suddenly the bowl stopped spinning. It moved slowly off Joe's head and he lay unconscious in the armchair. The wires let go of his wrist.  
  
Frank checked his pulse. He took a deep breath of relieve when he felt weak beat.  
  
He didn't know, but behind a mirror glass an old man watched him pull Joe out of the armchair. He grinned evilly.  
  
'Enjoy the future, Mr. Hardy!'  
  
Frank placed his brother on the floor. His head bleed.  
  
Joe opened his eyes so suddenly that Frank jumped.  
  
'Joe? Are you all right?' he asked worried.  
  
Joe sat up and looked around. Then he looked at Frank with cold eyes.  
  
'Where is he?' he asked sharply.  
  
'I don't know, Joe. We've got to get you home' Frank said, he was going to help him up but Joe jumped up and ran to the mirror glass.  
  
He hit it with his fist. 'I know he's in there! Why didn't you go and find him?' he said angrily.  
  
'Joe, I know you're upset, but...'  
  
-'But what!? I'm going to kill this f*%#-ing freak!'  
  
Frank didn't like the way Joe was acting. 'Joe, relax! Come on! Let's get out of here!'  
  
Joe didn't listen, he ran around like a mad man and yelled at the professor.  
  
Frank tried whatever he could to calm him down but nothing worked.  
  
At last Frank sighed. He didn't have much choice...  
  
He knocked his brother out with the flashlight but right before, Joe turned to him so the flashlight hit his forehead. The surprising in his eyes was indescribable. Frank grasp him before he fell on the floor.  
  
Then he ran off to get help. -------------------------------------------  
  
From then Joe had had repulsion on his brother. The brainwash had also pushed his violent. But no one really knew what the professor had programmed into Joe's head. After his suicide all the machines were destroyed. So were the computers that controlled them. Frank shook his head.  
  
The Hardy brothers had lost a little of their reputation because on their next case Joe did whatever he could to spoil it. But now he seemed to be coming around. Although he was still mad of Frank. Without any reason at all.  
  
Gertrude stood up from the couch. She sniffed mightily.  
  
'Well, I'm going to bed, goodnight!' She kissed Frank on the head.  
  
'Goodnight' Laura and Fenton muttered. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	19. Enemies

19. Chapter: Enemies. ------------------------------------------------------------  
  
You're going to hate me now... -----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Nancy looked to the ceiling, it was grey, not fun to stare at.  
  
She turned her head and saw she was lying on a mattress on the floor in a big hall. She took a deep breath, it ached very much.  
  
She tried to remember everything in right order.  
  
She had fall to a river, where she knocked out, then some people had carried her to the waterside and there she was. That was all she remembered.  
  
She wondered where Joe was. Then she wondered if Frank was worried.  
  
She was disturbed in her thoughts when a door opened and a young woman walked in. Luise or Julia.  
  
When she came closer Nancy saw it was Julia.  
  
Julia kneeled at the mattress and looked at Nancy.  
  
'Is your chest ok?' she asked, not mean at all.  
  
Nancy didn't answer the question. 'Where's Joe?'  
  
'Oh...don't worry about him' Julia answered. 'He's just fine.'  
  
A door behind her opened and a man and a woman walked in.  
  
Nancy didn't know why but she felt her hand shaking.  
  
Luise, the woman who had just came in, kneeled beside her sister.  
  
'What are you thinking about, Nancy Drew?' she wondered out loud and stared into Nancy's eyes.  
  
'I bet she's thinking about her sweet boyfriend' the man said.  
  
He put a tray on the floor with some food on it.  
  
'We don't want you get hungry' the man said and grinned.  
  
Nancy knew him now and remembered the voice she had heard.  
  
'Tony! Are you...?'  
  
-'Hard to imagine, right? I know' Tony Prito said smiling.  
  
'You're way too soft' Luise said and stood up.  
  
Tony stood up as well and took her hand.  
  
'Tough? That's your job, honey' he said and kissed the back of her hand. A true gentleman.  
  
'How romantic' Luise said. 'Well, should we let the boss have an alone word with her?'  
  
Julia stood up. She looked sad. 'I'll stay.'  
  
The door opened again. Another man walked in.  
  
Nancy felt like her eyes were going out of her eyeholes.  
  
'No way!' she thought,' It can't be!'  
  
Julia turned to him.  
  
'Am I forgiven?' she asked.  
  
He nodded. 'Your sisters orders. I want her to be guarded 24/7. Understood? And take care of her retainers too' he said to Tony, 'We'd like to be alone now, please.'  
  
Everybody left the hall. Except Julia.  
  
'Undercover! Good idea!' Nancy said hoping she was right, forgot about Julia.  
  
Joe Hardy smiled. 'Undercover?' he repeated. 'I'm not undercover, why do you think that?'  
  
Nancy felt her heart beat faster. She didn't know what to say.  
  
'I'm sorry, it was not in plans that you'd fall to the river' Joe continued.  
  
'Good to know that' Nancy said ironically. 'Joe, what the hell are you thinking? What's the reason?'  
  
Joe's grin disappeared for a moment but came right back.  
  
'I'm afraid this is not one of the movies where the bad guy tells the good cop everything when he seems to have all the cards in his hand and then he gets it back to his head when the good cop escapes. So I won't tell you much, 'cause I know you're a smart girl, Nancy...' Joe said.  
  
He tried to lift the cover off Nancy's body but she pulled it angrily back down.  
  
'Is your chest all right? I was told you had a broken rib' Joe said.  
  
'Like you care' Nancy muttered.  
  
-'Not really, but you're more valued if you're whole...'  
  
-'You don't know what you're doing!'  
  
-'Nancy, how can I not know I've been planning it for so long.'  
  
-'The Walker sisters are using you!'  
  
Julia stepped slowly to them with an angry look in her face.  
  
'I doubt that' Joe said calmly. 'They can't.'  
  
'Can I talk to her for a moment or two?' Julia asked.  
  
Joe stood up. 'Be careful, she's slippery.'  
  
Julia nodded. They kissed and Joe left the room.  
  
Nancy stared at Julia.  
  
'I don't know what you've told him but when I get out of here, I'll...'she said but was interrupt by Julia.  
  
-'We? Joe is in charge of the whole thing, this was only a good chance for us to work with him. But then my dear sister was going to take over and failed. Ask any questions, I might answer some of them...'  
  
Nancy thought about the offer. Why not?  
  
'Why are you doing this?' she asked.  
  
'You know that' Julia answered. 'You read the Walker/Jennings story, didn't you. You don't know, how it is to have a wonderful, loving father and then he's killed because of moneys! My father was the only person I really, really trusted. My mother wasn't healthy but she swore she would let Jennings pay the price for our father. She's dead but I and Luise are still here and...well, all Jennings are in great danger.'  
  
'What did they do to you? It was only one of them' Nancy pointed out.  
  
'The blood of the family shouldn't be allowed to flow, I've read their story. Every time they think someone is cheating on them they hire a hatchet man to finish the business, do you think it's normal?' Julia explained.  
  
'I guess not but what did I do to you?' Nancy asked.  
  
Julia seemed guilty. 'That's one of the questions I can't answer' she said. 'Probably you're just in our way.'  
  
-'How did you meet Joe?'  
  
Julia grinned. 'I'm sure Joe will tell you about that.'  
  
-'Does he sponsor you?'  
  
-'We all pay our parts but Joe's part is the biggest. He needs all kind of cop stuff to keep an eye on you, we don't need it.'  
  
-'What's Tony doing here?'  
  
Julia sighed. 'I ask the same question.'  
  
'One thing I don't get. Luise was always hanging out with Joe but you and he seem very close and Tony and Luise on the other hand...'  
  
-'Yes, you see, Luise and Joe never seemed very close, did they? But they were great at acting. But I love him and he loves me and there's nothing between him and my sister. Or at least I hope not...'  
  
'I have one more question for now, do you know Joe's reason for all this?' Nancy asked but didn't expect an answer.  
  
Julia smiled and changed subject. 'Let's take a look at your rib, ok?'  
  
Nancy sighed but let Julia unbutton her jacket and shirt so she could take a look at her chest. She moaned when her finger touched the broken rib and it hurt like hell.  
  
'Easy, Drew. You shouldn't move for a while and be careful when you yaw and drink, it might hurt. We'll feed you on fluid food ' Julia said.  
  
Nancy wondered why she was so good to her.  
  
'So I'll be worth of my price, I know' she thought.  
  
'You must be thirsty, I'll help you' Julia said and took a glass from the tray.  
  
Then she put her hand under the back of Nancy's head and held it up so she could sip from the glass.  
  
It hurt to swallow.  
  
'Have a rest now, if you need anything there's button on the wall beyond you, you can push and someone will come, ok?'  
  
Nancy looked up, there was a green button there, connected to some conduit.  
  
Julia smiled. 'Goodnight.'  
  
She turned off the light and walked out.  
  
Nancy frowned. Julia was way too sweet for her taste. -----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Julia walked to the control room. Joe sat in front of the computer.  
  
'How is she?' he asked when he heard the door close behind her.  
  
'She'll be fine, I hope' Julia answered.  
  
Joe looked at her. 'You do? Why?'  
  
'I'm getting so sick of this' she moaned and rubbed her temples.  
  
Joe put his arm around her. 'It's all about to end as soon as the twins, the old lady and Frank ...'  
  
The door opened. (To get in to it, a secret code had to be typed into a computer, fingerprints checked and the sound of the voice of the one who wanted to get in, had to say something in the same way it was programmed).  
  
The one who had to do this all now, was Tony.  
  
'Hi, how's going?' he asked.  
  
'Ok, but I don't like your girlfriend's attitude towards me' Joe answered.  
  
'Ignore her, and she's not my girlfriend. What's next move?'  
  
'The next move is theirs so we'll wait and see' Joe said.  
  
'All right, I'm free then today?' Tony asked and yawned.  
  
Joe nodded. 'Yeah, go home and sleep and see Frank tomorrow, give him all your support'  
  
'Haha! See ya!'  
  
-'Bye.' 


	20. Randy in trouble

20. Chapter: Randy in trouble.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------- Tj: I'm happy you liked it, I don't think your going to like it in the future though, it still would be nice if you'd read on...  
  
Katie janeway: I'm sorry, I know this is not good but I hope you won't stop reading. I just love to make people shocked! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------  
  
Fenton and Frank Hardy sat in Chief Collig's office with Con Riley.  
  
'Are you sure about this?' Fenton asked worried.  
  
'Almost' Collig answered.  
  
'Almost is not enough' Fenton said.  
  
'There is no life under those trapdoor, except insects. The new roentgen machine is very good, it doesn't lie' Collig said.  
  
'But there might be life there when you explode it' Frank pointed out.  
  
'We'll just make sure that there won't be' Collig said calmly.  
  
'The protection of the environment is not going to be happy about this, it's a huge area' Con Riley said.  
  
'I can't find any other way' the chief said.  
  
'Why don't you let us take a look at this, Frank and his friends can be very useful when it comes to something that the police can't do' Fenton said.  
  
'You've been sneaking around there for a week now, Fenton! Nothing happens, what makes you think it's going to change?' Collig raised his voice in impatience.  
  
'I don't know' Fenton answered. 'All right, you're right. But make absolutely sure that there will be no mistakes with the roentgen scan.'  
  
'Of course, what do you think we are?' Collig said.  
  
'Yes, yes, sorry' Fenton said.  
  
Collig nodded. 'Riley, call the local government and protection of the environment and ask for permission to do this. They can answer in matter of a day.'  
  
Con Riley stood up and went out but came back right away.  
  
'Frank, Tony Prito is asking of you' he said.  
  
Frank excused himself and went out.  
  
'Hey, Tony. What's up?'  
  
'I was about to ask you the same question' Tony said. 'Is there nothing new?'  
  
Frank shook his head. 'Nothing except they're going to explode the place by the river.'  
  
Tony's eyes went wide open. 'I think that's quite much.'  
  
'Shit!' he thought.  
  
'Oh, well. We'll just wait 'till that's done. Then we can search there' Frank shrugged. 'I'm just worried about that there could be someone under it.'  
  
'Right' Tony muttered. 'Hey, you know what, I really should get going, see ya later!'  
  
He ran to the door but nearly got it in his face when someone opened it from the outside.  
  
'Ooo, geez, I'm sorry! Are you all right?' someone said.  
  
'Yeah, fine' Tony answered.  
  
'Hello, Randy' Frank said to Randy Cline who had almost broken Tony's nose. 'How are you?'  
  
'I'm all right. Have you found out who...?' Randy asked but didn't finish the question.  
  
'I'm afraid not, this is getting kinda complicated' Frank answered.  
  
'Bye!' Tony said and rushed out.  
  
'I need to tell you something, I'm sure you won't like it but...' Randy began.  
  
'What is it?' Frank asked. They sat down at an empty desk.  
  
'Just so you know, I'm not lying, but when Sarah was killed I saw...' he took a deep breathe. 'I saw your brother with her, they went up to the second floor where the beds are, just before she was found...' Randy looked at Frank and tried to see if he thought he was lying.  
  
'But she was found in the restroom...' Frank said but suddenly remembered that Doctor Miller had said that the body had been moved to the toilet booth from some place.  
  
'And I also saw Luise go there soon after them, though she was working that night. But she looked very much like her, I've heard she has a sister, maybe...' Randy added.  
  
Those new information were confusing. Frank didn't want to believe it but it fitted too well, and besides Joe had been acting strange for a long time and what was he doing with the Walker sisters, anyway? Frank shook these thoughts away.  
  
'Thank you, Randy. How come haven't you told me this before?'  
  
'I...' Randy took another deep breathe. 'I was threatened to keep this to me. He said he'd hurt my family if I'd tell someone...' he blinked a few times.  
  
'He?' Frank repeated. 'Any idea who?'  
  
Randy Cline shook his head. 'He just called and told me to share no information, and when you came to talk to me in the factory they put wires to the office to guarantee I wouldn't blab anything. They stalked on me for a while but then they stopped and I haven't heard from them for some time.'  
  
'I see' Frank said. 'Would you mind telling Collig and my father this?'  
  
'I'd prefer not. I'm sure they're listening to us now and I'm in enough danger and my family too so I think I should go, let me know if I'm right and I'm sorry if I'm wrong' Randy said, stood up and left Frank confused.  
  
When he was out of the police station he was relieved, better later than never.  
  
He looked at his watch. Oops! He had an appointment at his psychologist and he was late.  
  
He walked to his car and went in. When he was going to start the car he realized that the keys were missing. Odd. Before he could do anything else he felt a cold, sharp, tip sung in the back of his head. He felt something liquid stream into his neck, his head got heavier, his thoughts got cloudy and his eyes closed.  
  
'That was a wrong thing to do, Randy.' -------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Tony went out of the car. He opened the trunk the pulled the limp body out of it.  
  
'Uuh, wow. You're heavy!' he said to Randy, who, of course, didn't hear him. He walked to the hidden trapdoor and kicked it.  
  
It opened and strong hands attuned Randy and carried him down and Tony climbed down and closed the trapdoor over him.  
  
'Ah, Drew will be happy to have company, don't you think?' Luise's voice said when they were all the way down, but she had obviously been waiting.  
  
'He talks too much' she said. 'Make sure he can't escape.' ------------------------------------------- He took the pill and put it under his tongue, then he took a bottle of water and was about to swallow when heard someone come in.  
  
Julia entered the room quietly. 'They don't do any good, Joe' she said.  
  
He looked at her. 'You don't know, you don't take it.'  
  
'It's just like any other drug' she argued.  
  
'I need it. Otherwise I can't sleep' he said.  
  
'It's a long time since you've tried to sleep naturally. Do it for me, try' she begged.  
  
He looked into her eyes. 'All right, for you.'  
  
-'And yourself.'  
  
He snorted but spit the pill to the dustbin.  
  
She looked at him with flirting eyes. 'Now that your awake, we can have real fun' she said as she stepped closer to him.  
  
'I should have known you'd...' he didn't get a chance to finish the sentence because she attacked him with her lips. --------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Nancy had been trying to loose the chains that held her down. They were safely molten into the walls and all she could do was getting her wrist red and bum. Eventually she gave up and laid still and hoped that Frank would find her soon. Now she heard some noise and stretched her head to see what was going on.  
  
Some men came into the hall with a limp body between them.  
  
After them Luise and Tony came in.  
  
'Hello, Nancy. We brought you a friend, what do you think?' Tony said cheerfully.  
  
Nancy didn't answer. She looked at the man. Randy Cline!  
  
'He doesn't look like a vivid company' she said dryly.  
  
'No, not now but when he wakes up I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about' Tony said.  
  
Luise finished chaining Randy. 'Stop this gibberish! Now, you betrayed us, so you must pay. You must watch everyone you love go out, you'll have to watch them helpless, I'm looking forward to see your face then, Mister!' she said to Randy and kicked him in the chest, not hard though.  
  
'Is this necessary?' Nancy asked quietly.  
  
'No, but I enjoy it. You want some too?' Luise was about to kick Nancy too but Tony grasp her and hauled her away from Nancy.  
  
'Take it easy, Lu. Come on. You've got work to do.'  
  
He turned to his men. 'Take care of them, guys. Have enough space between those two so they can't help each other get away. Good night!'  
  
Then he pulled Luise out of the hall. 'Be a good girl' he reminded her. 'I'm going to sleep.'  
  
After he was gone Luise shook her head and went to the control room where one of her favourite employee was on his shift.  
  
'Good evening, miss Walker' he said politely when she entered the room after doing all the security tests.  
  
'Good evening, Jerry. How's going?'  
  
'Good, not one single car has passed for an hour' Jerry answered.  
  
'And inside?' Luise asked.  
  
'Even better. The captives are asleep, Mr. Prito is getting ready to sleep and Mr. Hardy has disconnect the surveillance camera in his room bur he must be there with your sister, everyone are in their places including me and you're here, this is going perfectly, almost too perfect!' Jerry described.  
  
Luise nodded. 'Don't you ever get sick of Hardy? He's acting like some king in his castle and we're his slaves.'  
  
Jerry shrugged. 'Well, I don't care as long as I get my share' he said.  
  
Luise grinned. Unbelievable how many people there could be bought so easily.  
  
'Jerry, I have an offer for you. I'll double your wage if you do something for me, help me to get rid of Hardy, we'll share his part, I think it's half million, each...'  
  
He nearly drooled. 'I'm your man.'  
  
Luise smiled. 'Good. I thought so.' -------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	21. Betrayal

21. Chapter: Betrayal ------------------------------------------------------------ Well, here's a new chapter! I expect more tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A group of people tiptoed down the hallway. They were all wearing black clothes and masks.  
  
They stopped in front of the door.  
  
One of them looked up to the ceiling, to the dark corner where he knew there was a camera. He smiled at it, though it couldn't be seen because of the mask.  
  
--------------------------  
  
In the control room Luise Walker smiled too but that couldn't be seen either, because she was alone there. She looked at all the screens. She frowned when she noticed that Tony Prito had also disconnected the surveillance camera in his bedroom. Then there were two blank screens.  
  
-----------------------  
  
One of them put it's ear against the door. No sound.  
  
'Kill Hardy and Prito, bring Julia to me but... if necessary, kill her too...' that was the order.  
  
'Elaine...do it.'  
  
A woman squatted and started to prod up the lock. After a moment the door was open. The group moved slowly and quietly into the room. Except two who were supposed to stay outside and guard it.  
  
Jerry noticed a pillglass on the desk. He took it up with glove-covered hand an read on it. He almost laughed. A soporific. That was way too easy.  
  
Another man opened a drawer beside the bed and removed a gun from there. Then he looked at the bed. He saw some brown curly hair stand out from the cover. He took a deep breathe. Jerry came to him. 'What's wrong, Phil?' he asked.  
  
'I'd hate to kill her' Phil whispered.  
  
'I know. Now, let's be cool' Jerry said in a low voice. 'Guys, come here.'  
  
They all gathered around the bed.  
  
'Pull off the cover very slowly when I say. Elaine, come here, stand to the right, if they wake up shoot him, if she wakes up hurry and make sure she won't yell. If she has a gun under the pillow and gets to it, shoot, got that?'  
  
The woman nodded.  
  
'Wait, does she have a gun in the drawer?' Phil asked.  
  
'Check it out' Jerry answered.  
  
Phil did. 'Nothing.'  
  
-'All right, let's get this over and done with.' Jerry took the security off the gun and aimed it to the bed.  
  
They didn't need much. They only moved the cover for a few cm, then they saw that there were no people under it. There were just pillows and clothes under it and some lovelocks.  
  
Jerry hissed and went to the surveillance camera and connected it.  
  
Luise saw that.  
  
He shrugged and shook his head.  
  
Luise understood the sign and hit her palm with her fist.  
  
'Damnit!'  
  
She connected the sound-system and put headphone on her head.  
  
'Look in the safe' she ordered.  
  
It didn't take long to blast the safe, but that was all for nothing. Jerry's face almost went purple.  
  
'How the hell did they know?' he asked himself.  
  
'Check out Tony' Luise ordered again.  
  
Jerry nodded and gave his people a sign to follow him.  
  
They walked fast to Tony's room.  
  
They planned to open the door the same way as Joe's room but it was already open, that could only mean one thing.  
  
They deprived the cover off the bed. Of course it was empty.  
  
Jerry cursed silently. Where could they have gone?  
  
In the control room Luise opened the camera recorder to rewind it to see where Joe and Tony had taken her sister. She frowned when she realized that there were no tapes in it. Why didn't she just let someone in to watch the cameras? She cursed. 'Damn you Hardy!' ----------------------------------------------------  
  
Joe, Julia, Tony and five of their supporters walked in a file down the main hallway. Tony and another man were carrying big, long baseball bats which they used to wreck all surveillance cameras and lights on their way.  
  
Joe was carrying a big sport bag and Julia was carrying a flashlight.  
  
Everyone else were carrying weapons (Walker & Jennings production, of course, though the name Jennings had been sandpapered off).  
  
They went into a hall.  
  
Nancy was once again disturbed in her thoughts and escaping plans when the door opened. She looked to them and saw Joe and Julia standing there with evil smile on their faces. Randy frowned. He and Nancy had had a chat while no one was looking after them. He wouldn't believe that Joe was a criminal.  
  
Now when he saw him there he couldn't help staring.  
  
'You? You killed my sister?!' suddenly he lost control and tried to reach to Joe but the chains held him down. 'You f*#%-ing, darn bastard, you...I'll...!'  
  
'Randy, u-um' Nancy said calmly and shook her head warningly.  
  
Joe smiled innocently. 'No, Randy, I didn't kill Sarah. I never kill my ex- girlfriends.'  
  
Randy calmed himself down and grinned at Joe. 'But you killed your first girlfriend, didn't you?'  
  
Joe's face went pale and he stared angrily at Randy.  
  
'Release them' he ordered.  
  
'What?' Nancy thought and looked at him.  
  
Joe noticed that.  
  
'From the chains, I mean. You're coming with us for a little trip, how does that sound?' he said and grinned.  
  
Nancy's hope died.  
  
Tony and Julia walked over to them and unlocked the locks.  
  
While Julia was opening Randy's chains she whispered to his ear. 'Your sister took a long time to die, thought you should know... that...that I regret it. But done is done.'  
  
Randy's whole body shook.  
  
'Let's go now' Joe said when they were loose. 'And you two won't try anything, you'd only get lost and then blown up' he warned Nancy and Randy.  
  
'Blown up?' Nancy repeated.  
  
Joe nodded. 'The police knows about the place but they don't know that we're here and they're only going to explode the entrance, anyway. But I don't risk anything...so, let's go!'  
  
When they went out on the hallway red warning lights were blinking.  
  
'Oh, great. We better move on' Tony said.  
  
'Yeap. Let's run!' Joe said and started running.  
  
His partners did the same thing and two of them dragged Nancy and Randy with them, they're hands were tied behind their backs and they were gagged too.  
  
They ran all the way down the hallway, on the end of it there was a big steel door.  
  
Julia typed some secret code on a palm-small computer affixed on the wall beside the door.  
  
After a moment it began to move and slid aside.  
  
Just then a group of people came running down the hallway.  
  
'Shit!' Tony rasped out as everyone went into the hall quickly, he followed but because the door was very slow he had time to destroy the computer with one of the baseball bats and pull it and his arm back in.  
  
Julia shot a few bullets out so Luise's people couldn't come closer 'til the door slid softly into it's place.  
  
They threw themselves on the door but that only hurt their shoulders.  
  
Then they tried to shoot the door down but the bullets bounced back at them and they just managed to move away from it.  
  
The two who were guarding the door inside heard the sound of their curses, they just grinned.  
  
Inside the hall, two helicopters stood in the middle, ready to fly.  
  
Tony walked around and smashed all the surveillance cameras in there, with loud sounds and sparkles. He didn't forget one.  
  
Joe came out of the other helicopter. 'Everything's ready!' he announced.  
  
'Leanne, you'll come with us, you others take Randy and go first' he ordered.  
  
They only nodded and did what they were ordered, they were like robots without feelings and sense.  
  
There was a big computer there, contained a whole wall, and it was used to open and close a huge trapdoor in the ceiling.  
  
The pilot started the helicopter so terrible noise resounded inside the hall.  
  
Joe opened the trapdoor.  
  
The helicopter lifted from the floor and flew up and out.  
  
Tony and Julia carried Nancy to the other helicopter without any resist. The woman, named Leanne, followed and sat in the co-pilot seat.  
  
Joe finished doing, whatever he was doing, in the computer. He stood up, put something into his pocket and ran to the helicopter.  
  
'Quick, quick! We've got 5 minutes' he muttered. 'Go, go, go!' he urged the helicopter.  
  
He sat in the pilot seat and after a minuet the helicopter joined the other high in the air.  
  
'Just in time' Joe muttered when he looked down.  
  
At least five police cars were down there by the river. An ambulance and a fire department car. And Fenton Hardy's car.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
If someone would have seen Luise in the control room he would have thought somebody threw a bucket of red paint over her head.  
  
'Jerry!!!' she yelled in the microphone. 'Get back here!!! They're out!!'  
  
Jerry commanded his people to return to the control room.  
  
When they came there, Luise was watching the later helicopter fly away.  
  
All the police officers were looking up.  
  
'Oh, great, the police' Jerry said in a low voice.  
  
'What the hell is so great about that!!??' Luise nearly screamed.  
  
No one said a word. Luise stared at each and everyone of them.  
  
Now they finally saw the madness in her eyes and the cloud of money(which they had been focusing on the whole time) faded from their own eyes.  
  
'We've got to get out of here' was their first thought.  
  
Luise seemed to read their mind. 'Well, we're all stuck in this together' she said and was about to continue when a big explosion ribbed through the air.  
  
'What was that?' Elaine asked.  
  
'Are you people slow!!?' Luise yelled and lost control again. 'The police...' she looked at the screen to the surveillance camera outside and shut her mouth. The police hadn't cast their bomb. They were all looking terrified, watching over the river...or maybe they were watching the river itself...that meant...  
  
'That f%+#-ing son of a b----!!!' Luise said to herself. 'We can't get out.'  
  
It took a moment for her subordinates to realize what she had just said.  
  
'What do you mean?' Jerry asked, his voice shaking.  
  
'After a while the whole place will be under water' Lusie answered quietly.  
  
Jerry shook his head hopelessly. He made his decision.  
  
'I'm going up, anyone coming?' he asked and looked at his partners. Luise spoke before anyone could answer.  
  
'Up? The police is there, you'll go to jail' she warned.  
  
Jerry sighed and looked to the ceiling. 'Rather that, than death' he said. 'Bye.'  
  
He went out of the room and ran up the hallway. He heard the water flow.  
  
A few seconds, after Jerry left, the others decided that they'd rather spend some time in jail too. So, they followed Jerry and left Luise to face her destiny.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ok, that was way to dramatic end... 


	22. Under arrest

22 chapter: Under arrest.  
  
To Katie janeway: Don't worry you don't have to bear with Joe in this chapter. But thanks for still read this!!!  
  
To CharonStyx: Thank you so much for the review!!! Why doesn't it appear on the review page? Oh, anyway, about what I wrote to disgusted! Of course you can borrow it but not just some cool words to say, it's just truth, the actions of the character is totally up to the author even though the character is kinda stolen.thanks again!!!  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chief Collig, Con Riley and Fenton Hardy stood on Galeriver's waterside.  
  
A bomb had been placed at the trapdoor. It was controlled with a remote control and everybody were told to stay away.  
  
Frank, Biff, Chet and Callie were waiting on the road.  
  
'Has no one seen Tony?' Chet asked.  
  
'I called Mr. Pizza and the Fanclub no one has seen him today, his dad has no idea where he is...looks like he disappeared too' Frank answered.  
  
'Yeah, yeah he's fine. He can take care of himself' Chet said.  
  
'You don't think Joe is responsible for this, I mean the helicopter explosion and murder of the Cline-girl?' Biff asked.  
  
'I doubt it, or maybe I just don't want to believe it. But I don't understand why he should...' Frank sighed.  
  
'Don't you think it's strange how many are missing, you know, Joe, Nancy, Randy?' Callie asked. 'Do you think they're alive?'  
  
No one answered.  
  
Suddenly a buzz began. Frank looked down. He saw the earth beside the river, open...or what? Of course that was impossible so it had to be a hidden trapdoor or something.  
  
A helicopter flew up from the hole and another followed.  
  
Frank took up a digital camera that was also a video camera, and took a photograph of the two helicopters.  
  
Down by the river, Collig gave his men, back in the police station Bayport, an order to find and follow the helicopters and told them to what direction they were flying.  
  
A few minutes after the helicopters were flown away, the explosion thundered.  
  
All the police officers were shocked.  
  
'Report yourself' Collig commanded.  
  
Everyone reported themselves in order.  
  
Collig let out a sigh of relieve when he was assured no one was missing.  
  
'Ok, we've had enough of explosions for now' he said.  
  
Con Riley and Fenton were about to remove it when they heard somebody knock at the trap door from inside.  
  
Collig rushed to them. 'Open it' he ordered.  
  
'Yeah, how?' Con asked.  
  
'Right' Collig muttered.  
  
Con disconnected the bomb and carried it carefully away from the trapdoor.  
  
'Do you think they can hear us?' he asked when he came back to Collig and Fenton.  
  
'Let's find out' Fenton said. 'Can you hear us?' he said loudly to the trapdoor.  
  
'Loud and clear' the answer came from the ground. 'We've got pretty good system down here. Anyway, we surrender. We're coming up, don't kill us' the voice said.  
  
Fenton and Collig looked at each other, then they drew their guns and aimed them to the trapdoor.  
  
They slowly opened and a man stepped up with his hands on the back on his head. Six persons followed him.  
  
Collig almost laughed, those people could have been used to being arrested. And maybe they were...  
  
'If you're armed throw your weapons away' he ordered.  
  
They started to loose gun sheaths and daggers from their waist and some put down their carbines.  
  
'Good' Collig said. 'Is anyone down there?'  
  
'Luise. She doesn't want to get caught' the first man said.  
  
Con took up one gun sheath. 'Walker & Jennings. Then that's confirmed' he said.  
  
'Ezra, do you mind, I talk to them alone?' Fenton asked.  
  
'No, go ahead' Collig said.  
  
'Hey, Frank! Come here!' Fenton shouted to Frank.  
  
'You'll be all right?' Frank asked Callie who shook in Biff's arms, she was startled after the explosion, like all of them actually.  
  
She nodded. 'I hate explosions' she mumbled.  
  
Frank ran down to his dad. 'Hi, is anyone hurt?' he asked.  
  
'No, everyone's fine and those fellows just surrendered, we're lucky today. Did the camera come to use?' Fenton asked.  
  
'Yeah, I photographed the helicopters' Frank answered.  
  
'Good. And by the way, this is...erm...?' Fenton looked at the man.  
  
'Steinfield' he finished.  
  
'Steinfield, almost like Seinfield' Franks said and grinned.  
  
-'My first name is Jerry.'  
  
-'You can't be serious.'  
  
'Now, Mr. Steinfield, I'm going to ask you a few questions. They're completely private, you won't tell them about it, understood?' Fenton said.  
  
Jerry nodded rather carelessly. He took a cigarette and lighter from his pocket.  
  
'You know, this is a bad habit' Frank said and coughed from the smoke.  
  
'Sure, but I'm a criminal, ain't that a bad habit too? One more doesn't bother me' Jerry said.  
  
'Well, it bothers me so turn this off' Fenton ordered.  
  
'All right, all right. What happened to the politeness?' Jerry asked.  
  
'Look, I'm only so happy because you surrendered by yourselves. So, 1st question, who were those in the helicopter?'  
  
Before Jerry could answer Frank cut in.  
  
'Dad, can I have a word with him before you start questioning?'  
  
Fenton sighed. 'I suppose. I'll wait right there.'  
  
'Well?' Frank asked when his father was gone.  
  
'Well what?' Jerry said.  
  
-'Who were in the helicopter?'  
  
'He was just asking me this' Jerry said and meant Mr. Hardy.  
  
'Yes, but now I'm asking and you're suppose to answer' Frank said sharply.  
  
'Joe was there, wasn't he?' he added and watched Jerry closely with an significant eye.  
  
Jerry shrugged. 'Yeah...'  
  
-'Thanks. You're not going to tell dad that, got that?'  
  
Jerry nodded.  
  
Frank gave Fenton a sign to come to them.  
  
'Ok. Where were we?' he asked.  
  
'At 1st question' Jerry answered. 'Julia Walker, Tony Prito, two captives...(Jerry looked at Frank who nodded but was surprised to hear Tony's name)' and then he counted five other people.  
  
'Captives? Who?' Fenton asked.  
  
'Nancy Drew and Randy Cline' Jerry answered.  
  
'Oh' Fenton had been hoping other of the captives was Joe, then he had known he was alive.  
  
'Tony Prito, you say? What was he doing there?' Frank asked surprised. 'Was he a captive too?'  
  
'Well, no, he...um...' it seemed hard for Jerry to answer this and looked at Frank.  
  
'He what?' Fenton asked.  
  
Frank moved his lips.  
  
'He seemed to have a thing for Luise but he obviously didn't want to die with her and ran off with her sister' Jerry finally answered.  
  
'Really?' Fenton looked at Frank. 'What the Hell is going on?'  
  
'I saw Joe and Luise together in the park once and rest of the gang were there too but Luise and Tony didn't seem to know each other' Frank said.  
  
'This is really starting to confuse me' Fenton sighed.  
  
'Where is Luise, anyway?' Frank asked.  
  
'Somewhere down there' Jerry answered.  
  
Frank ran to Collig.  
  
'Is anyone down there?' he asked.  
  
'We sent a group there to search for miss Walker, they say she's still there' Collig answered and nodded to the criminals.  
  
-'Ok. Can I have a raiment?'  
  
Collig thought.  
  
'All right, it's right there. Be careful' he said.  
  
'I will' Frank said and picked his size of bullet proofed west and water proofed pants and thick gloves.  
  
'What are you doing?' Fenton asked when he came to Frank after leading Jerry Steinfield to the car.  
  
'I want to see what's there, don't worry about me, dad' Frank answered.  
  
'No, I won't. Just as worried as usually' Fenton muttered.  
  
Frank snorted and walked to the trapdoor. He saw the glitter of the water.  
  
He went down the stairs. The water caught his shinbones.  
  
'Oh damn, this is cold' he thought.  
  
He started to wade down the corridor. This was a huge place, it would take the water sometime to fill it. Likely an old mine.  
  
He passed many doors. He pointed the shaft of the flashlight to them. There were names and titles written or incised on the doors.  
  
Elaine(I rule) -Matt(Fuck U) -storeroom -dining room...  
  
The water caught Frank's knees. He read on one door. 'Luise, (don't come in without knocking)  
  
He tried to open it but it was locked.  
  
He walked on. He noticed a broken surveillance camera in the corner of the ceiling.  
  
Suddenly he heard some noise. Some police officers were standing in front of some door and tried to open it.  
  
The water level grew higher.  
  
'Oh, that's just great' Frank thought,' Damn, it's cold.'  
  
'How's going?' he asked the officers.  
  
'Not well' one of them answered.  
  
'Is there something I can do to help?' Frank offered.  
  
'Sure, open or break the door before we go under water, that would be very nice!' the officer said.  
  
'No, Frank. Move out of the way, that would help,' another one said,' I think we need dynamite.'  
  
Frank stiffened.  
  
'Hey, are you ok?' the officer asked as he tried to shoot the door open. It didn't open.  
  
Frank didn't answer but pointed the flashlight at the door behind them.  
  
The letters J.H. were incised into them and Frank had a pretty good idea what they meant. He tried to open it and surprisingly it was open. He walked in and looked around. He was going to hurry to find some information and leave before the water level grew even higher.  
  
Things like pens, papers and other light things were floating on the water that reached halfway upon Frank's legs.  
  
But before he could (execute) bring out (?) his simple plan he saw a woman on the bed. It was Luise.  
  
Frank also saw a gun in her hand. She laid there still, there was no blood or anything around her but Frank hurried over to her to check her pulse.  
  
'Oh, man!' he thought.  
  
When he grabbet Luise's wrist she suddenly sat up, grabbet Frank's arm and presumed his weight to slam him aback to the floor that was full of water and she held him under water.  
  
Frank tried to resist and pull himself up. But Luise was pretty strong, plus he was underwater and therefore lighter than normally.  
  
After a second Frank lay as still as dead in the water. Luise let go of him. Abruptly he rose up and punched her in the stomach.  
  
She moaned and fell back on the bed. Frank quickly stood up and wasted a moment to catch his breath.  
  
Luise used that moment to kick him in the chest and he fell back down and lost the breath again. Then she grabbed the gun.  
  
Frank slowly stood up with his hands raised up so she could see he wouldn't try anything...for now. He coughed up the water.  
  
He heard the men on the hallway curse because they couldn't get in to the room that they thought Luise was hiding in. He was thinking about screaming so they'd come and help him but right after ,that it was ridiculous. Luise would shoot him if he'd let out a sound.  
  
So there he stood and waited, for what, he didn't know.  
  
Luise wasn't sure what to do, she just aimed the gun at Frank. They heard someone outside say: 'Let's get out of here, we can't open the door!' Frank was on his own, until his father and Collig would order somebody to go down and check on him.  
  
'Luise, you don't have to do this. It'll only lengthen your staying in prison' Frank warned carefully.  
  
Luise laughed nervously. 'You'r not that stupid that you'd think I would just let them cast me to some filthy bullpen just like that. No way.'  
  
'Then what? What are you going to do? There's no way you can escape, your people won't help you, not your sister, no one! How do you eye a chance? Tell me' Frank demanded.  
  
'I will not discuss it with you' Luise answered.  
  
'Then why haven't you shot me already?!' Then Frank understood. 'Oh...of course.'  
  
'Yes, you'll help me out' Luise said like she had read his thoughts.  
  
She walked to him and pushed the gunpoint to his back. 'Now walk out, slowly. If you try anything I'll put a bullet in your arm, got it? Go!'  
  
She opened the door. More water flowed in. She pointed him with the gun to go out. Frank obeyed. His teeth chattered he was starting to lose the feeling in his legs.  
  
They waded through the hallway. They were silent and the water sound appeared louder.  
  
Frank couldn't come up with any plan. All he could think of was if he would be in the same place if Joe would have been with him. If they had worked this out together. He knew for sure he wouldn't have been walking through ,an almost-full-of-water, hallway, pushed ahead by the gun Luise was holding.  
  
When they came to the entrance she told him to go up first.  
  
Frank silently climbed up the stairs. He felt heavy, the water leaked from his clothes. Luise came after him. They were almost up when she told him to stop. She put her arm around his neck and held the gunpoint to the side of his head. Like that, soaking wet, they climbed up.  
  
'Did you find something...' Fenton was about to ask when he saw Frank's head come up from the trapdoor, but the words died on his lips when he noticed the gunpoint next to his head and Luise's evil grin behind him.  
  
Frank answered with a frown.  
  
'Drop all guns! If I see a gun he's dead!' Luise said so everybody heard.  
  
Her order was complied.  
  
'Kick them away.'  
  
Also complied but they were ready to get the guns back from the ground.  
  
Frank felt so helpless. He had no idea what would happen. Would she take one of the cars and let him go, would she take him with her or would she kill him? He didn't like the last option. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	23. How it began

23. chapter: How it began.  
  
Here comes 23rd chapter.  
  
--------------------------------------------------  
  
Luise pulled Frank to the waterside of the river.  
  
'What are you going to do?' Frank asked in a low voice.  
  
Luise didn't answer. She closed her eyes.  
  
------------------------------------- F L A S H B A C K -------------------------------------  
  
'He's home! Dad's home!' 10-years-old Luise Walker yelled. She was sitting by the window and staring out like usually on this time of the day. It was raining this particular day.  
  
Her sister who was two years older but could have been Luise's twin sister, smiled. They heard the key turned in the keyhole and the door opened. A middle-aged man walked in. He was rather tall with black thin hair which was starting to get gray. The serious, worried face changed to a happy smile when he saw his daughters. The younger one ran into his arms.  
  
'Hello, princess! How are you today?' he asked.  
  
'Fine' she answered.  
  
'Where's your mother, Julia?' he looked at the other girl.  
  
'Somewhere in the house, I assume. At least I haven't seen her go out (of it)' she answered.  
  
Her father patted her on the head. His wife appeared in the hall.  
  
'What took you so long?' she asked.  
  
'I'm sorry, I got a little late' Mr. Walker excused and gave her a hug.  
  
'Dinner is ready' Mrs. Walker said and went back to the kitchen.  
  
Julia followed her and Mr. Walker and Luise came after Julia.  
  
They ate dinner as usually. Then Mr. and Mrs. Walker watched the news and then they all did their use in washing the dishes, just as usually.  
  
At half past ten the girls were sent to bed. Mrs. Walker gave them their goodnights and a kiss on their cheeks. Mr. Walker came into Luise's room.  
  
'Goodnight, angel' he said softly.  
  
'Dad...I know I'm getting too old for this...but can you tell me a story' Luise asked, 'Pleeeeease!'  
  
-'All right, I'll try...em...' he sat on the bedside, 'What stories do I know? Oh, yes, I know! Ok.' He cleared his throat.  
  
'Once upon a time, in Africa, there was big, big Lion...much bigger than me..., (Luise giggled) he was getting old...just like me...and liked to sleep a lot, especially after hunting 'cause it made he him tired to run after the antelopes. One day when he was asleep under a few big trees he suddenly woke up when he felt something crawl over his paw. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a little mouse standing on his paw and sniff at the thin fell on it (hvað meinarðu ?). He growled at the mouse. The mouse tried to jump off the Lion's paw but before she made it he put his other paw over her and held her between them... ('He can't eat her' Luise whispered) - Hey! Who's telling the story, me or you?...thought so, where was I? Yeah...-The poor mouse begged for her life, (Mr. Walker made his voice low and shrill) 'Please, please Mr. Lion. I don't taste well, honestly!' (Luise giggled more and her father spoke normally again) The lion wasn't really hungry so it decided to let the little mouse go. (He made his voice deep and lazily) 'All right, you can go this time...don't you tell anyone about it, someone could think I was getting soft...' (low and shrill again) 'Thank you sir Lion, you will not regret this, I promise you that!' (deep and lazily) 'Hmm. I don't know, we'll see' (normal voice) The little mouse ran away, never been happier. The Lion went back to sleep. A few days after this, the Lion was walking home after a hunting trip, He had completely forgotten about the little mouse. Suddenly he stepped on something. 'Ouch!' he thought. But he was more startled when a net fell over him from the air. It was a trap that hunters used. The Lion roared and tried to scratch himself out of the net. But that only tangled him more. At last the Lion couldn't move. After a while the Lion noticed someone small was moving near him. Oh, the Mouse! 'My Mouse! Please, help me!' the Lion cried out, ' Please, remember how I spared you erstwhile, please!' 'Yes, yes, easy. I remember, hold still until I've chewed the net apart' the Mouse said. She climbed upon the Lion and started to chew the ropes. When she had finished her work the Lion was free. He rose up. Then he looked down at the Mouse. 'Thank you, my Mouse! I shall always be grateful and I'll never eat mice again, you've saved my life' the Lion said thankfully. 'You spared mine, I paid my dept, sir Lion' the Mouse said. Then she ran off and the Lion walked slowly to his home. He kept his promise, never ate mice' Mr. Walker smiled.  
  
'That was a good story, dad' Luise said and yawned.  
  
'It was, from it you can learn: You should treat others like you want them to treat you, you understand?' Mm. Walker asked.  
  
Luise thought and then nodded. 'Yeah, I think so. Like, if Julia wouldn't borrow me something then I should not borrow her anything when she needs it, hehe!'  
  
Mr. Walker sighed. 'That's not exactly what I meant, oh, never mind. You should be asleep long time ago. Good night, now sweetheart.' He kissed her on the forehead and tucked her in.  
  
'Good night, dad.'  
  
Mrs. Walker came to the doorway. 'Good night, honey.'  
  
'Good night, mom. Good night, Julia!' Luise yelled.  
  
Her sister didn't answer.  
  
'Uh, Luise, don't yell like that so late in the evening. The neighbours could wake up' Mr. Walker reminded.  
  
-'Sorry, mom.'  
  
Her parents went out of the room and leaned the door back but didn't close.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
Luise woke up. She didn't know why. She looked at the alarm clock. 00:24 a.m.  
  
She sighed and laid back down. She heard the sound of her parents voices. They were fighting. Luise couldn't hear what exactly what they were saying. She got curious. She jumped out of her bed and went out on the hallway. Julia was there before. She stood outside her fathers study with her ear against the door. She lifted a finger to her lips. Luise nodded but moved her own lips. 'What are they saying?'  
  
Julia pointed at the door. Luise put her ear against the door like her sister.  
  
'What have you gotten yourself into?' Mrs. Walker's voice asked loudly.  
  
'I don't know, Jane! Besides, maybe they weren't talking about me' Mr. Walker said and tried to calm her.  
  
-'Well, how many are they who know much of what you are doing and could be dangerous for Mr. Jennings?'  
  
-'It could be anyone. I heard him say: We'll get rid of him...'  
  
-'And you also heard him say something about there was only room for one boss. How many bosses are there? You know how the Jennings family gets rid of people who they think are threat to them.'  
  
-'That was then.'  
  
'And this is now. I'm only suggesting you'll go to the police and ask for protection...' Mrs. Walker began.  
  
-'NO!' Mr. Walker said, 'No police! End of discussion!'  
  
-'But why not...'  
  
-'I said no police, I'm I making myself clear?'  
  
Julia and Luise looked at each other.  
  
'I don't like this' Luise whispered.  
  
Julia shook her head. Then they heard footsteps on the way to (coming towards) the door.  
  
The girls ran quickly to Julia's room. Julia shut the door after them.  
  
'That was close' she said in a low voice.  
  
'Oops' Luise muttered.  
  
-'What?'  
  
-'I think I didn't close the door when I went out of my room.'  
  
-'What? You idiot. Damn. Ok, let's lay down, you got cold and sneaked to me, all right?'  
  
Luise nodded.  
  
They threw themselves onto Julia's bed just in time before Mrs. Walker opened the door to take a look at them. She smiled and closed the door again.  
  
The sisters both let out sighs of relieve.  
  
'Actually, Julia, I am kinda cold, can I stay?' Luise asked and put up an innocent face.  
  
-'Fine, but give me my half of the duvet.'  
  
-------------  
  
The lock was broken from outside. The door opened quietly. A man stepped in. He looked around. He was wearing jeans and a black sweater, latex gloves and a mask covered his face. He had rubber soled shoes on his feet which muffled all sounds when he walked on the tiled floor. He took a cloth from his pocket and a little bottle. He found the room he was looking for, he stopped in front of the door. He heard heavy breath from inside the room. There he poured some of the bottle's contents to the cloth. He opened the door carefully. This was a bedroom, like the uninvited guest had known before, on the bed two persons laid fast asleep. The man raised his hand that was holding the cloth and placed it on the sleeping man's mouth and nose. When he woke up the man held the cloth tighter to his respiratory system (mouth and nose ?). His victim grasped his wrist but the grip got lighter as he got unconscious, the terrified eyes closed. He took the cloth away. He worked fast but quietly and carefully to not wake up the woman beside the unconscious man. He took another bottle from his pocket and a thin, long pin. He put the pin down to the man's pharynx ( throat )to  
  
keep it open while he poured the fluid down to the throat. Then he took the pin up and put it to a plastic bag that he had also taken from his pocket. He held the man's jaw's together so he'd swallow the fluid. Then he walked out without looking back. A hit man had finished his job.  
  
------------  
  
A loud scream did wake Luise Walker up. She sat upright.  
  
'Mom!' she thought.  
  
Her sister had woken up by the scream too. They hurried out of bed to their parents bedroom.  
  
Their mother stood over their father who laid still in the bed, rather pale, she was shocked. Tears streamed down her cheeks.  
  
'Mom, what's wrong?' Julia asked.  
  
Mrs. Walker moved her lips but no words came. She tried again.  
  
'You...your...father...he...' she couldn't finish, she start crying. She bent down and put her arms around Julia.  
  
Luise walked to her father. 'Why don't we wake dad up, he can make you feel better, I'm sure he can.'  
  
She shook her dad, tried to wake him up. 'Dad, dad! Wake up!' After a few attempts and he still wouldn't wake up, Luise got afraid .  
  
'Mom, why doesn't dad, wake up, mom?' She felt that her father's hand was unusually cold when she touched it.  
  
Mrs. Walker forced the words out. 'He...can't...he's...ah, oh, God!?' And she cried more.  
  
Luise felt tears on her own cheeks, she didn't know why.  
  
Julia was silent. She walked over to her sister, past her and to their father. She shook him.  
  
'He's dead' Julia whispered sobbing.  
  
'What?' Luise didn't realize what her sister was saying. She looked at her mother.  
  
She nodded.  
  
-'Like...he'll never wake up again...?'  
  
Her mother nodded again.  
  
Luise looked at the corpse again before falling to her mothers arms. She didn't cry, she was still trying to understand this.  
  
Her sister and mother were both crying but she just couldn't.  
  
---------------  
  
The house was full of police officers and their assistants. They investigated the whole house, trying to find any signs of the murderer. The corpse had been moved to a mortuary for further investigation.  
  
Drops of chloroform were on the pillow and on late Mr. Walker's skin, and poison in his blood.  
  
Mrs. Walker was questioned she told what she knew and thought.  
  
An officer sat in the sofa with Julia and tried to cheer her up, knowing that there was no way he'd succeed.  
  
Curious neighbours went out of their houses and gathered in small groups, they whispered about what was happening. Some only looked through their windows.  
  
Luise sat by the window. Tears were still streaming down her face...  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
They streamed silently, her body was shaking because of the memory.  
  
'Sorry, dad...' her lips shaped the words but they couldn't be heard. Frank was uncomfortable and glared consistently at the gun, he felt like someone was trying to rip his guts out of his body when he heard the gunshot and felt the twitch from it. It resounded. He didn't know if he was alive or if he would drop dead next moment. 


	24. Trickery plan nr 2

24 chapter: Trickery plan nr. 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Sorry for keepin' you waiting.(but since there are other stories here that's nothing to worry about).  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The helicopters landed on the roof of a huge building in a suburb in Boston. Around the big building that the helicopters landed on, where a few smaller buildings. The building site was surrounded by an old rusty wire fence which was broken here and there. And the buildings themselves were empty and quite ugly. But they had once been successful weapon production company, the head of the Walker & Jennings production.  
  
Joe, Julia, Tony and their partners went out of the helicopters and dragged the hostages along. They climbed down stairs into the former company house. They came into a dark room that was the attic. There were big cupboards along side the walls. Julia told Joe that some files had been kept there. The group went down another stairs and came into another room full of cupboards and drawers. They went out on the hallway. Every corner was full of dust. The walls and ceiling were white, the floor was grey. Not so much of colours there. This part of the building was totally empty everything had been cleared when the production was closed. Julia literally ran down downstairs, it was long stairs. Joe and Tony walked quietly side by side. Matt and Elaine walked after them and kept their eyes to the sides and were prepared if Nancy would try something, Randy, they didn't worry about. He was pale as snow in the face and just as blank. Nancy showed them that she wasn't scared. The three unnamed followed, whispering in low voices between themselves. When they were down on the 1st floor Nancy suddenly asked:  
  
'Where are you taking us?'  
  
Joe stopped. 'To the basement, there you're going to sit and rot.'  
  
'Frank or your dad will find us.how can you do this to him your dad and your mom!?'  
  
'Frank, Frank, Frank.how do you know that there isn't a hidden room somewhere here that we can hide you in where you'll die?  
  
'How do you know?' Nancy asked back.  
  
'I don't' Joe admitted, 'But Julia would.'  
  
Nancy turned her head to Julia. 'Yes, you grew up in Boston, this was your father's weapon production, right?'  
  
Julia smiled ironically. 'You're a little smart, aren't you?'  
  
Nancy snorted. She turned back to Joe.  
  
'You answered neither of my questions.'  
  
Joe grinned at Tony. 'Maybe she should know the truth.'  
  
'Maybe,' was all Tony said.  
  
Joe took a step closer to Nancy and looked at her in the eyes.  
  
'Ok, Nancy, this is what we're going to do: The police is on their way.you knew that and I assume that my dear brother will be with them, anyway, we'll inject you with some chemical that makes you fall asleep, Randy too. We'll put you on some good, conspicuous place where they'll definitely find you, we'll be waiting surrounding the place and then.well, there will be a hack of commotion. How do you like my plan?'  
  
Nancy felt like spitting on his face. She had the feeling that this plan of his would work if she didn't do anything, fast. She kept herself calm and looked at him in eyes and said something very brave.and foolish.  
  
'You won't get away with this, Joe.'  
  
Joe grinned and so did his partners.  
  
'The eye-contact doesn't work on me, honey, I'm not feeling guilty' he said.  
  
Nancy didn't say anything, not in words, but she sent Joe a hateful glare.  
  
He turned to Randy.  
  
'You're quiet, are you alive?'  
  
'Why, does it matter to you?' Randy asked in a low voice and looked down.  
  
Joe put his fist under Randy's chin and forced him to look up.  
  
'You should cheer up, soon you'll see your beloved sister, there you have something to look forward too.'  
  
They watched each other with cold eyes.  
  
Nancy couldn't take this, was he telling the man that he was going to kill him!?  
  
'The police should be here after an hour or so, be ready' Joe said, then added, and turned his words to Nancy, 'I'm going to get your feeding bottles.'  
  
'Take your time,' Nancy hissed.  
  
'I wish I could but I don't have that time,' Joe answered and kneeled. He unzipped the sportbag he had been carrying and put his hand down and rummaged there, then pulled it up with a little bottle.  
  
The people grasp Nancy's arms and held them tightly behind her back, Julia pointed a gun at her so she had no other choice than standing still. Thoughts were grumbling in her head so fast she couldn't even realize what they were about.  
  
Think Nancy, think, think, do something.  
  
Joe approached with a syringe full of some junk. That was when Nancy lost control of herself. She jumped up and kicked Joe in the chest with hand the pressure knocked her and the man behind her to the floor. Joe also fell and the syringe smashed. But he was quick back on his feet. For Nancy, it was harder since her hands were bound.  
  
Joe stroke the back of his head and sighed and then looked at the broken syringe on the floor.  
  
'Why did you do that, Nancy? Now I'm going to have to use the same syringe on the both of you,' he murmured.  
  
He turned around and took another syringe from the sportbag.  
  
Nancy was helped up with some unfriendly grips.  
  
Joe pricked a syringe and turned to Randy.  
  
'Let's start with you, shall we?'  
  
Randy was breathing heavily with sobbing, he glared at Nancy, who was praying that for some miracle, something would make Joe understand that what he was doing was wrong. But no one answered her prayers, the needle went easily through Randy's skin and he didn't even resist it.  
  
'It'll take a few minutes to work,' Joe said to Randy.  
  
Like he wants to know. Nancy thought.  
  
Randy nodded.  
  
He's not very unhappy about it. Nancy thought to herself.  
  
'And now, my dear, it's your turn,' Joe said to Nancy.  
  
'You are the nastiest, worst, damn bastard I've ever.' Nancy began  
  
'Easy Drew, you kiss your mother with this mouth.oh, no, sorry you don't have one,' Joe said grimly.  
  
-'Fuck you!'  
  
'Hey! That was unnecessary, it's not my fault she died.' Joe said.  
  
'Hold her' he commanded.  
  
Tony held her wrists with one hand and her neck with the other while Joe injected her with the hypnotic.  
  
'That's much better' he said and put a band-aid on the sore, 'Sweet dreams.'  
  
'Well, we should go and make things ready. Tony can you stay here and keep an eye on them?'  
  
Tony nodded.  
  
Julia and Elaine washed the hypnotic and glass pieces from the floor. Julia looked at Joe.  
  
'Um.Joe, I'll stay here too.'  
  
'Oh, ok, we'll leave then, can I take that? It's a riffle in my bag' Joe said and took the pistol.  
  
'Ok, see ya after a while' Julia said and gave him a hug and quick kiss.  
  
Joe left the group but Julia and Tony sat on the floor and played Stone, scissors and paper.for a second or two. When they heard no footsteps the stood up with determined faces. Julia found the riffle in the bag like Joe had said, and loaded it.  
  
Tony slowly walked over to Nancy and Randy. He squatted in front of them. 'How are you doing?' he asked.  
  
Nancy decided to act like the hypnotic was started to work, then maybe she could play out her cards before it start working for real. 'A bit sleepy' she said.  
  
Tony grinned and sighed. 'Oh, Nance, honey, you know it as well as me, that it isn't true, do you know why?'  
  
'Why don't just tell me?' Nancy snorted.  
  
-'That's because you were injected with water.'  
  
-'And why would you inject us with water?'  
  
-'Because you must be conscious when you help us.'  
  
Nancy let out a small laugh. 'Help you? Why would I ever help you?'  
  
Julia took over. 'Simply because you don't have a choice.' She stroke her hand over the riffle.  
  
'Look Nancy, the thing is, I have real hypnotic here in my pocket which I will inject you with, if you don't do what you're told. Are you in or out?' Tony asked.  
  
Nancy was getting curious.  
  
'First.'  
  
What were they up to?  
  
'Second.'  
  
'Thi.'  
  
-'I'm in!' Nancy cut in.  
  
'Tony, you might want to hurry those conversation, before Joe comes.' Julia warned.  
  
-'You're right' Tony said.  
  
'So you're going back on Joe?' Nancy asked and let out a bigger laugh.  
  
'For his own sake. He'll thank us someday' Julia said.  
  
'I can't believe this' Nancy said amazed, 'He's going to freak out when he finds out.'  
  
'Well, then he's just going to have to freak out. I'm not willing to go to jail for him but it' s that or to betray him, and that I'd rather do than the other option' Tony said. 'But this is what you two are going to do.'  
  
--------------------------------------------------------- 


	25. In Boston

Chapter 25:  
  
Fenton Hardy stood and stared emptily at nothing, he let out a deep sigh and looked up at paramedics carry the stretcher, covered with a white sheet, carefully into the ambulance. But a child would know, that if you're shot in the head, you won't live. And the ambulance drove off.  
  
'Frank, are you all right?!' Collig asked worried.  
  
Fenton shook his head from the trance and looked at his son who sat beside him on the hood of a police car.  
  
'Yeah, I'm fine, just shocked' Frank answered and checked his own heartbeat with the palm of his hand, it was still beating very fast.  
  
'Damn, I was so sure she had shot you' Chet breathed.  
  
'Yeah, me too' Biff said. 'Shit!'  
  
Callie studied Frank.  
  
'There's blood on your shoulder and the back of your head' she said in a low voice.  
  
Frank turned his head to look at his shoulder. 'How nice' he muttered.  
  
'Is it yours or hers?' Chet asked.  
  
'Hers. I'm going to clean this off' Frank said and stood up.  
  
Collig gave Fenton a light tap on the shoulder.  
  
'Cheer up, it could have been Frank, it wasn't. Shame she did this, though. We probably wouldn't have gotten anything from her, anyway.'  
  
'My son was 2 inches from death' Fenton said. 'Again.'  
  
They both grinned.  
  
Frank came running to them.  
  
'Collig, I want to go where J.where the helicopters went. Is it possible to get me there?' he asked eagerly.  
  
'Woow, cool down, buddy. Don't act like you were nearly shot in the head few minutes ago' Collig said ironically. 'Well, I'll call and see if they could track them down, but to get you there.well, we'll see' Collig said and took the transceiver from his belt.  
  
'Hey, guys, it's Collig, can you find the helicopters?'  
  
A fuzzy voice answered. 'They just flew over Wahsington.'  
  
'Boston' Frank thought. 'They're going to Boston.'  
  
'What did you say?' his father asked.  
  
Frank looked determined at him.  
  
'Dad, is Jack busy?' he asked.  
  
-'Well, no I don't think so but.'  
  
-'Can I borrow your cell phone?'  
  
Fenton nodded and gave it to him.  
  
Frank dialled to Jack Wayne, Fenton Hardy's private pilot.  
  
'Yeah, hi, Jack. It's Frank, I was wondering, are you busy right now?  
  
-Yes, right this minute. -Besides talking to me. -Really? Think you could be ready for a flight in 20 minutes or so? -Boston. -Aha, yes, that'd be great, see you then.'  
  
'Boston?' Chet asked.  
  
'The old Walker & Jennings factories are there so I'm guessing they need something there or have to do something there, and we're going to find out what' Frank quickly explained.  
  
'All right, I'm in, let's go' Chet said cheerfully.  
  
'Hey! Are you guys going to leave me here, I don't think so!' Biff yelled.  
  
'And what about me?' Callie asked.  
  
Frank turned to her. 'You'll stay here' he said.  
  
'Why?' she asked.  
  
'Because it's for the best' Frank said patiently.  
  
Callie frowned.  
  
Frank turned around while running, and yelled. 'I don't know when you should expect us, maybe you should go and let mom know about this, dad.'  
  
The three ran to Frank's car and drove fast back to Bayport.  
  
Fenton shook his head, again.  
  
'They're way far ahead of me' he said.  
  
'Let's face it, my friend, we're getting too old for this business' Ezra Collig sighed.  
  
'Well, we can just as well try to come to use here' Fenton said.  
  
'Right, let's get back to town. We'll be in touch with Frank and Jack' Collig.  
  
The police officers had finished their investigations, but Collig had plans about sending a diver down to the silo or mine or whatever it was.  
  
They went into their cars and drove back to Bayport.  
  
Fenton opened the backdoor of the car for Callie.  
  
'Signorina?' he said civilly.  
  
'You speak Italian?' she asked as she sat into the car.  
  
'No, not much, Tony taught me a few words' Fenton answered and closed the door and sat in the passengers seat and Collig stepped on the accelerator. -----------------------------------------------------  
  
Frank, Biff and Chet met Jack Wayne at the Bayport airport on a private landing field.  
  
'What's up, guys?'  
  
'Not much, but we need to go to Boston as soon as possible' Frank said.  
  
'You got it' Jack said.  
  
They went into the plane and after some shouts and signals it dropped the ground.  
  
Frank ran out as soon as Jack stopped the plane on the airport in Boston. Chet and Biff were right behind him.  
  
They didn't even say goodbye to Jack. He watched them surprised.  
  
'Ok, bye, see ya guys later. I'll just.wait here, take your time, no problem.' he said to himself.  
  
Frank waved for a taxi when they were out of the airport. The driver was an old kind-looking man.  
  
'Excuse me, do you know where the Walker & Jennings factories are?' Frank asked him.  
  
'Oh, yes, I pass them everyday on my way to work' the driver answered.  
  
-'Great, can you take us there?'  
  
'Of course I can, that's what I'm paid for' the old man said merrily. 'Hop in.'  
  
The old taxi driver started conversations on the way. 'Now, I know it's really none of my business but what could you want in the factories, the place is old and ugly, uglier than me, and that's says a lot!'  
  
Frank smiled. 'We're suppose to meet someone there' he said casually.  
  
'Do you know anything about this company?' Biff asked.  
  
'Yes, yes I've lived close to the main buildings for over 30 years now' the man answered.  
  
'Then you might know if there's some fast-food around there?' Chet said.  
  
The driver laughed. 'Yes, there is one, uh.what was the name of it.something like.McRonald?'  
  
'McDonald's?' Frank helped.  
  
'Correct! That was it, well, the company, what can I tell you about the company? The story behind it is sad.'  
  
'Can you tell us about it?' Frank asked interested.  
  
'That shouldn't be too hard. Well, when Richard Walker and Adam Jennings started the company, they produced weapons and all kinds of equipment for the police all over USA. At first they made a killing of it, but then other companies started producing the same products only better so Walker and Jennings, of course, stopped making money and the little they had they fought about until Walker mysteriously died from poison in his house. There wasn't enough evidence to judge Jennings for the murder but I'm quite sure the bastard did it. He had been threatening Walker before. He took all the moneys, he didn't even appear in the funeral. And that was the end of the company. But that's not the end of the story, some say that those two smuggled some weapons and some dangerous bombs to enemy countries of the USA and made some extra money that they hid in the buildings I'm taking you to. It has been searched for this, hmm. 'hidden treasure' hundred times and it has never been found probably because there is nothing, nothing but dust and mice. But the mice are going to have to find another place to live, those building will be torn down next year, or so I've heard.'  
  
'Really?' Biff asked and tried not to yawn.  
  
Frank, however, was really-really interested.  
  
The driver laughed to himself. 'It's funny' he mumbled.  
  
'What's funny?' Frank asked.  
  
-'I thought I saw a light there a two weeks ago.'  
  
-'Really?' Frank looked at him. 'Did you hear something?'  
  
'No' the man answered, 'I wasn't sure if there really was a light or if it was just my imagination.'  
  
-'I see.'  
  
The rest of the trip was silent.  
  
Until Frank saw a small tower in the distance.  
  
'Is that it?' he asked.  
  
The driver nodded. 'Yes, this is the place' he said. 'Wait a minute! Something's going on there!'  
  
As they got closer they saw many police cars outside the steal wire fences.  
  
'This isn't exactly the best place to meet somebody at the moment. I'll let you out by McRonald' the old driver said.  
  
He stopped the car outside McDonald's. 'Well, that was a pleasant drive! Good luck, boys!' he said.  
  
Frank paid and they went out of the car.  
  
The driver waved before he drove away.  
  
'Hey, guys should we go get something to eat before we go, I mean we don't know how long we'll be there' Chet said 'And I'm starving.'  
  
Frank grinned. 'Yeah, that is a good idea. You go buy something, but not much. Take it with you.'  
  
'Sure, how about those sandwiches, you know with the roastbee.' Chet started.  
  
'Yeah, whatever, you decide, we can eat everything' Frank cut in.  
  
'Good, cause I heard about those deep-fried roaches.' his friend mumbled and went inside McDonald's.  
  
Frank and Biff waited outside and watched the police forces surround the area inside the fences. No SWAT, not yet.  
  
As soon as Chet came out of McDonald's they walked over the street and headed towards the buildings.  
  
'Hey, what's going on?' Frank asked one of the police officers.  
  
'You are?' the officer asked back.  
  
'Oh, I'm Frank Hardy' Frank said, 'And they're my friends, Biff and Chet.' He looked at Biff and Chet.  
  
'From Bayport?' the police officer asked.  
  
'That's right' Frank answered.  
  
-'Do you have any identity?'  
  
-'What? Um, yeah...here' Frank gave him his identity card.  
  
The officer read it and then gave it back to Frank.  
  
'Follow me' he said.  
  
They walked inside the fences where many police officer were ripping and breaking boards away from windows to get into the building because the main doors had been jammed from inside.  
  
'Sir' the officer said loud.  
  
One man turned around.  
  
'Yes?' he asked.  
  
'This is Mr. Hardy' the officer said.  
  
'Yes, yes, right' the man smiled 'I'm commissioner Joshua Mitchell' said.  
  
'Hi' Frank said.  
  
'Collig called and told us you were coming' Mitchell explained.  
  
-'Oh.I see. Good. So, what now?'  
  
'Well, as you see, we are trying to get in and then we'll just have to see what's waiting for us' the commissioner answered.  
  
'So you don't have any info?' Frank asked.  
  
'I was told that these were dangerous people, murderers, the kingpin is a woman, in fact, Mr Walkers daughter who once owned this factory, or factory leftovers... There are two, maybe three hostages but we didn't get an exact number of the whole group so.'  
  
-'Ok, I'll tell you a few things I know, I believe that the kingpins are two, a man and a woman, the hostages are two, one is the brother of a girl they killed, Randy Cline, the other is my girlfriend who is a detective names Nancy Drew. But don't know how many people are in there either.'  
  
Joshua wrote down some notes.  
  
'My, my, Hardy, Walker, Cline, Drew, all known names' he thought aloud.  
  
Frank stretched his lips.  
  
'Sir, it's open!' somebody called.  
  
Mitchell looked up. 'Well then, let's catch the bad guys!' He went away and came back with three pistols.  
  
'I can be assured that you know how to use these?' he said and shared them with the three friend.  
  
There were around thirty police officers in the force and they all gathered by the window that had been cleared.  
  
'Who's the smallest here?' commissioner Mitchell asked and surveyed the window with his eyes, it wasn't very large.  
  
He sent a young thin officer inside, who could get through the window and it took him a few minutes to open the main door from inside and let everyone in.  
  
They walked through the main hall till it departed to many ways.  
  
'Let's split up' Mitchell commanded quietly.  
  
Frank, Chet and Biff followed him.  
  
'We're going upstairs' they heard from the CB.  
  
Mitchell answered. 'Heading to the backyard.I think.'  
  
It appeared he was right. They approached a big hall that led to the backyard, where glass doors that had been jammed with boards just like all other doors and windows.  
  
'Think we can rip it away?' Biff asked.  
  
'Well, I'm here, of course we can!' Chet said and grinned.  
  
Biff gazed at him.  
  
'Let's just try it' Frank said.  
  
The four exploited their powers to pull the boards away.  
  
'Moving into the backyard' Mitchell said to the CB.  
  
'There's nothing on the 2nd floor, we go to the third' someone said.  
  
-'All right.' Joshua Mitchell turned to his fellows. 'Shall we enter?'  
  
'Unless we're gonna stay here' Chet said.  
  
Frank turned the knob and walked through the door. He scanned the area. There was nothing. Only uncut grass and trash and the steel fence were in sight. Then Frank's eyes observed two people in the shadow of a stack of large tree boxes.  
  
'Nancy!' 


	26. The resuce

Chapter 26: The rescue --------------------------------------------------------  
  
Sorry, I haven't been updating but here is the rest of the story...  
  
--------------------------------------------------------  
  
Frank ran over to Nancy and Randy where they lay still in the grass.  
  
Oh, God! Nancy, don't be dead, please don't be dead! Frank prayed silently.  
  
He kneeled beside her and checked her pulse. He felt a fast beat.  
  
'Yes!' He hugged her.  
  
'Frank' he heard her whisper in his ear. Very clearly.  
  
-'Nanc...'  
  
-'Shush, I'm awake but act like I'm not, ok?' she kept whispering.  
  
Frank hesitated but bowed over her and put his ear against her heart like to hear some heartbeat.  
  
Mitchell was whispering with Randy beside them.  
  
Biff and Chet, however, were trying to get some attention from their pals, still hidden between the boxstacks.  
  
They whispered as loud as they could. 'Pzz! Frank! Frank! Look up! Frank!'  
  
'Frank' Nancy said, 'You must get yourself out of here, he's on the balconies...he's going to...-'  
  
'Frank, we gotta get in cover!' Mitchell said, probably getting the same information from Randy.  
  
At the moment a spate of bullets were shot in the ground a meter from Frank.  
  
'What the...-' Frank was quick to think and pulled Nancy behind one of those treeboxes.  
  
Joshua Mitchell had pulled Randy behind another one and talked to the CB. 'We're in the backyard, we're being shot at, repeat, in the backyard!'  
  
A few spates were shot on the boxes and the bullets went right through them, over their heads.  
  
'We were trying to warn you guys!' Chet said upset and pointed up.  
  
'Did you see their faces?' Mitchell asked.  
  
A spate over their heads caused they had to lie flat on their stomachs.  
  
'No, what does that matter' They must know who these people are' Biff said and meant Nancy and Randy.  
  
'Shouldn't we be thinking about getting out of here?' Chet asked.  
  
'My people must be here any minute' Mitchell answered.  
  
Chet eyed him, almost annoyed. 'Yeah...' he said slowly and nodded. 'But shouldn't we be thinking about getting ourselves out of here' he repeated angrily.  
  
'Of course, we have to try to get under the balconies, then we're safe' Frank said.  
  
'And how exactly are we going to do that?' Chet asked.  
  
'By running' Frank answered.  
  
'Are you completely CRAZY?!' Chet wanted to know.  
  
Twenty or thirty bullets went through the box beside Mitchell and Randy.  
  
'You have a better idea?' Frank asked.  
  
'Yeap. It's pretty much like yours, except let's just get killed here' Chet said. 'There are at least 30 meters to the house, if we get there, it'll be with billion bullets all over our bodies' he hissed.  
  
'He's got a point' Biff said.  
  
'On what floor are they?' Frank asked.  
  
-'The third or the fourth, I don't know.'  
  
-'Can we shoot them from here?'  
  
'Are you sure you want to do that, Frank?' Nancy asked.  
  
'We must try' he said. 'Right?'  
  
'I don't think we're close enough' Mitchell said.  
  
Another spate. Drrrt-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-...  
  
'But I guess it's worth of trying' he added when the next spate went through the box he was hiding behind.  
  
He draw his gun.  
  
'Let's see. We're six, got four guns...I think we can do this, if our bullets can get to them, that is...' he thought outloud.  
  
'I'm feeling much better' Chet snorted.  
  
-'That's good, son.'  
  
Chet rolled his eyes and looked at Frank who was checking on Nancy.  
  
'Are you all right?' he asked concerned.  
  
'My rib is broken, I don't think I can run really fast' she answered.  
  
Chet nodded. 'Always getting better and better' he sighed.  
  
Biff tabbed his shoulder. 'Cheer up pal, this is not the worst thing we've gotten into' he said encouraging.  
  
-'Shut up, Hooper.'  
  
Biff and Frank grinned at each other. Then Frank's face turned serious.  
  
'OK, the plan is: We all get up and shoot, then we run as fast as we can and keep shooting, you first Mitchell-'  
  
He nodded.  
  
'-then me and Nancy, then Randy, Chet and you come last, Biff. Right. Any questions?'  
  
'What if the bullets can't get there?' Chet asked nervously.  
  
-'Then we're screwed. Anything else?'  
  
'Has anyone noticed that we haven't had a spate for quite a while' Randy suddenly noted.  
  
He was right.  
  
'Should we dare...' Frank asked himself.  
  
'Do you think it's safe to look?' Nancy said.  
  
They were all startled when a few loud shots echoed in the backyard - a handgun shot, not a riffle.  
  
Frank stood carefully up and peeked over the box. He smiled.  
  
'Let's go now!' he said. And they all ran in a row to the door they had entered.  
  
On the balconies there was a group of people in the middle of a fight. The police officers and Joe's Hardy team.  
  
Suddenly somebody shouted: 'Get them!'  
  
A few riffle shots went past the running people who immediately sped up their running.  
  
They heard a few more shots as they ran inside.  
  
Frank, Biff and Joshua Mitchell rested their hands on their knees and breathed heavily but Chet and Nancy sunk down where they stood. Randy on the other hand just stood there like a ghost and this fast scuttle didn't seem to have any effect on him.  
  
Five people came running down the hallway.  
  
'Sorry, we couldn't get here before, we went to the top floor, so...are you all ok?' the officer asked.  
  
'No' Mitchell answered, 'This young lady has a broken rib, you might want to take her outside and Mr. Cline as well, and call Dr. Whitby and mr. ....er...Morton? He seems to need disaster therapy.'  
  
Chet looked at him, clearly displeased.  
  
'Say what?' he said.  
  
-'Ok, maybe not, but take Ms. Drew out of here.'  
  
'No, wait, I want to stay!' Nancy said.  
  
'No way, Nancy, you're hurt and you must see a doctor' Frank said.  
  
-'But I'm not that hurt, I can...'  
  
-'You're in no physical condition to solve a mystery now, Ms. Drew, all you would do is be in our way' Mitchell said calmly.  
  
Nancy peered angrily at him.  
  
'You sure know how to offend people' Chet mumbled.  
  
'Just do as he says' Frank whispered at her, 'If it turns out the way I think it will I want to do this alone.'  
  
'But Frank-' Nancy began.  
  
Frank looked her in the eyes. 'Nancy, please' he begged.  
  
A police woman came running down the stairs.  
  
'Sir!' she saw Mitchell and ran towards him. 'Sir, we lost them, they ran up, Curtis, Adams and Jason went after them.'  
  
'Claire, are you telling me that ten people couldn't catch a group of five?' Mitchell said frustrated.  
  
'Yeah, well. See, that's the thing, there were three who came behind us and knocked out the Hill-brothers so it was eight against seven' the woman explained.  
  
-'And?'  
  
'Well, what were we supposed to do? We gave up and they left and then Curtis and Jason and...-'  
  
-'Ok, I get the picture' Mitchell cut in.  
  
'Ivana Davis got the brothers away and I went looking for you' Claire said.  
  
Joshua Mitchell yawned. 'Good' he said, 'Now take ms. Drew here and mr. Cline outside to dr. Whitby, then team everyone up and meet us...where ever we will be...'  
  
She nodded quickly. 'Yes, sir.'  
  
Nancy followed her without protesting but looked poutingly at Frank. Randy walked beside her as quiet as always.  
  
'All right, we're wasting time, let's move!' Frank said and started running up the stairs.  
  
Commissioner Mitchell, Biff and Chet and the five policemen came on his heels.  
  
'Darn, those stairs are killing me' Chet sighed on the fourth floor.  
  
'Just three more floors to go' Biff commented, jogging beside him like a high-minded racehorse.  
  
'Easy for you, Never-stop-moving-all-day, to say' Chet moaned.  
  
'If I were you I'd save my breath' Biff answered.  
  
Bang! Bang-bang!  
  
'Or not' he added.  
  
They took three steps in one and fastened up when they heard the shots. At last they stood on the landing of the seventh floor but they didn't stop, not even to admire the view. They heard somebody speak and were drawn to the sound.  
  
They came around a corner and gulped- There was a man lying on the floor in his blood, he eyes were staring but dead...  
  
'Jason!' Mitchell and two of the officers kneeled beside the man.  
  
Mitchell closed his eyes after checking his pulse and heart.  
  
'Those people are insane' one of the officers who stood behind Frank, said.  
  
'You didn't expect some group of obedient, sweet lambs, did you?' Mitchell said harshly. 'We'll pick him up later, there's no use in stayin' here. We must help Curtis and Adams, if they're alive...C'mon. Let's be careful.'  
  
Everyone drew their guns and crept down the corridor.  
  
'Where did the voice come from?' Chet whispered to Frank.  
  
'I don't know' he answered.  
  
All the doors were opened carefully and looked into, none of the rooms had been touched for some time.  
  
Mitchell's CB buzzed. 'Sir, where are you?' Claire's fuzzy voice asked.  
  
He answered. 'On the seventh floor, make haste...they shot Daniel Jason...they're somewhere around here...'  
  
-'We're on our way.'  
  
Mitchell didn't answered. He heard a sound. Frank had heard it too. He grabbed the gun tighter.  
  
'Be quiet' he said in the lowest voice he could.  
  
'Was it inside here?' Joshua asked and gestured next door on his left.  
  
-'I think so.'  
  
Frank took position on the right side of the door but Mitchell on the left.  
  
'On three' Mitchell said.  
  
One, two...Frank counted in his mind and then together Biff and Chet kicked the door open.  
  
The first thing everyone noticed was a ladder disappearing into the ceiling. Biff ran to it and tried to grasp the end but he received a gun bullet, which fortunately missed, and he too let go. He looked back up to see the hatch close. 'Damn' he muttered.  
  
'Are you ok? Did you see anyone?' Frank asked worried.  
  
'Nope, just a black hooded face' Biff answered.  
  
'Sir!' two of the officers shouted at the same time.  
  
Their colleagues went over to where they stood by the wall. It was open and there was a safe in it. Frank looked into it, it was empty of course.  
  
'How are we going to get up there?' Mitchell said to himself and looked back to the ceiling.  
  
'Shall we try to make a pyramid? Chet on the bottom, then Frank then me on the top ' Biff said with a shaky laugh.  
  
Frank grinned. 'Yeah, right. Piece of cake.'  
  
'Were you talking about cakes' Chet asked, pretending not to hear Biff's joke.  
  
'Yeah, don't you have some food with you, Chet?' Frank asked.  
  
'Sure, but the bottom man needs the energy both to hold you two up and to think' Chet answered.  
  
'Now that you mention it' Biff said, 'I am feeling kinda thirsty...'  
  
Chet handed him a bottle of raspberry juice and Frank a can of Cola and opened a can of Sprite for himself.  
  
'Do you call this food?' Frank asked grinning when Chet gave him his wrinkly Snickers.  
  
-'It's a fast energy.'  
  
'Is there nothing we can do?' Frank asked Joshua.  
  
'We might as well go for the pyramid idea' he said annoyed. 'It would take too much time to send someone after a ladder.'  
  
'That's crazy...' Chet began.  
  
'-You won't be on the bottom...alone' Mitchell said.  
  
'Wow, wait! I was kidding!' Biff said.  
  
-'And I thought it was good idea.'  
  
Biff looked at Frank hoping to get some backup.  
  
'I guess we can give it a shot' Frank said shrugging.  
  
'Whatever' Chet sighed.  
  
After a few minutes, most of the police officers had gathered and made a small pyramid out of themselves. Chet and Biff were holding up a young, smallish officer who was trying to open the trapdoor.  
  
'I feel like a freaking cheerleader' Biff groused.  
  
'This is not working' Frank thought to himself.  
  
'If you'll be a little more steady, I think I can do this' said the top of the pyramid. After a minute the young man jumped down.  
  
'Let's have a break before we go up' he said.  
  
'You could open it?' Chet asked.  
  
-'Of course I could.'  
  
A few seconds later Frank was climbing the ladder up through the trapdoor. When he got up he looked around in the attic. Hundreds of pipes were hanging in the ceiling and more were lying loose on the floor. The place was near filled with dust, spider's web and mouse dirt.  
  
Frank helped Biff up and then they pulled Chet up together. Just as they were all up a low voice said:  
  
'Freeze!' 


	27. Getting away

Chapter 27: Getting away  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Frank slowly turned around raising his hands. He saw a young, brown-haired woman holding a gun to Tony Prito's frightened face.  
  
'Tony?!' Chet gasped.  
  
'Shut up! You!' the woman turned to Frank, 'Tell them not to follow or...'  
  
-'I get it' Frank said. He bent over and looked down through the trapdoor, to the freedom. 'Hey guys, you can't come up here, there's a...problem...' he said to the men and pulled up the ladder.  
  
'What...?' he didn't hear more because the hatch fell in it's place.  
  
'Ok' he said to the woman 'I've done this, will you let him go?'  
  
Julia didn't answer. Two people appeared in the shadows behind her. They were carrying a thick steel pipe which they placed on the top of the trapdoor and stuck it so it couldn't be opened from below.  
  
After the people disappeared back in the shadows Julia spoke:  
  
'All right. Now I'll let him go' she said.  
  
Frank was confused by the tone of her voice. He looked at Biff who stood next to him. He shrugged.  
  
Their eyes widened when Julia suddenly let go of Tony and put the gun in his palm.  
  
'That's it. I've got a flight to catch. Take care of my darling, ok?' she said to Tony.  
  
'Will do' he answered. 'Go.'  
  
And she ran off and disappeared.  
  
And then Frank lost it. 'Tony! What the HELL IS GOING ON HERE!!!' he yelled angrily.  
  
Tony seemed very calm. 'It would take me all day to tell you the story so...'  
  
-'Where is Joe?!' Frank insisted.  
  
'Oh, yeah. You're about to meet him in a moment' Tony said and lowered the gun. 'Follow me. Be careful with this pipestuff here.'  
  
Too shocked to say anything the three followed their 'friend' through a narrow corridor. Tony shone a flashlight before them and the beam revealed all the disgust in the attic. After seeing a few rats, Chet tried to stay close to the group but he kept sticking his head into the pipes in the ceiling. The end of the corridor widened into a small hall. The first thing they saw was a dark dressed, muscular man, tied to a chair. There was a little candle on the floor that gave some tiny brightness.  
  
Frank ran past Tony and to the man.  
  
'Joe!'  
  
Chet and Biff hurried over to them too.  
  
Surprisingly Joe didn't seem scared or angry ,only slightly annoyed. He eyed Tony with even more annoyance.  
  
Frank lifted his chin but he jerked back.  
  
'Joe...what have they done to you' Frank asked brokenly. He turned to Tony. 'You've got some explaining to do' he rasped out.  
  
Tony approached with a knife in his hand. He cut Joe's bounds.  
  
'We're gonna have to talk someday, anyway' he said.  
  
Joe crossed his arms. 'Sure, you go ahead' he said, 'Talk.'  
  
'This isn't working, she's gone, Joe! Please, realize it...it's over.'  
  
'Tony?' Frank glanced from his brother to Tony. 'What's this about?'  
  
'You would have thought a smart guy like you would have found out by now' Joe said dryly.  
  
'Joe, please! Tell me!' Frank begged, seriously startled to see how Joe was acting.  
  
'And then what?' Joe asked.  
  
-'We'll work out the problems...'  
  
'Where is Julia?' Joe asked Tony.  
  
'I don't know, Joe, I don't even know if she made it past the police but she's gone, they're all gone. We two are alone now' Tony answered patiently.  
  
'Screw you' Joe murmured.  
  
'We were only looking after your best interests' Tony said.  
  
'I don't get this Tony' Biff said angrily, 'We thought you were our friend.'  
  
'I am' Tony said, 'I've been watching Joe. I was going to talk to you, Frank, when he'd reached the limits, I had to join him to get his trust...' Tony explained.  
  
'Well, you don't have that anymore, that's for sure' Joe said.  
  
'Why Joe?' Frank asked and tried to look at his brother in the eyes but he always looked away and he didn't answer.  
  
'Don't try this, we have, he won't say anything' Tony said impatiently 'We need to figure out what comes next.'  
  
'And I bet you've planned everything' Biff hissed.  
  
Tony nodded. 'Yes, we have, actually.'  
  
'We?' Chet repeated.  
  
'Me and Julia' Tony explained.  
  
'Oh, damn...' Biff sighed.  
  
Tony looked seriously at Frank.  
  
'You wouldn't send your own brother to prison, would you?'  
  
Frank didn't answer. Of course he would never ever send Joe to prison and suddenly he felt so bad for sending other criminals there, felt sorry for those who cared for them...he shook his head to get rid of those thoughts.  
  
'No' he said partly to Tony and partly to himself.  
  
'No, I didn't think so' Tony assured. 'How about me?'  
  
Frank glanced at him. 'No' he answered quietly.  
  
-'Right. So, obviously, we must think of something to get out of this mess.'  
  
Everyone were silent.  
  
'How's your idea, then?' Chet asked at last.  
  
Then Tony explained his simple plan.  
  
'Does Joe approve?' Chet asked.  
  
Frank turned to his brother who sat silent all the time. 'Joe?'  
  
'You must, this is the only choice you've got' Tony said.  
  
'What about Julia?' Joe asked.  
  
-'She's fine, she'll take care of herself and the others and she'll contact us, ok?'  
  
Joe shook his head in surrender. 'Whatever.'  
  
'Good...try to look a little weaker, all right...' Tony said.  
  
Joe gave him an evil glare. Then turned to Frank.  
  
'You caught Luise?' he asked.  
  
Frank swallowed. 'She caught me...then she killed herself, the people you left behind surrendered...'  
  
Joe nodded and stood up. 'Fine. Are we gonna stay here all day or what?'  
  
'No, we should get going' Tony said.  
  
'You know' Biff said, 'I should really kick your butts for all this.' --------------------------------------------  
  
Joshua Mitchell was almost bald from ripping his hair for over 30 minutes. His men had picked up a ladder but the hatch just wouldn't open, something heavy had been placed on it from above and there seemed to be no other entrance to this attic.  
  
Suddenly he heard some noise from the ceiling. He jumped up from where he sat and run to the corner of the room where the trapdoor was. It opened and Frank's face appeared.  
  
'Hey, guys, hope I didn't keep you worried' he said.  
  
'Oh, no, no, of course not...' Mitchell said relieved and pulled the ladder under the trapdoor.  
  
Frank climbed down and his brother followed. Frank had put his jacket over Joe's shoulders.  
  
'Hey, isn't this your brother?' Mitchell asked.  
  
Frank nodded. Chet and Biff came down and Tony was the last.  
  
'And this is our friend Tony' Frank said.  
  
Joshua nodded. 'Right, good you're all right, but, listen...was there anybody else up there?'  
  
Frank and Tony looked at each other. 'Well...um...' Frank began.  
  
-'No' Tony said, 'We were just left there.'  
  
'Joe, this is commissioner Mitchell' Frank introduced.  
  
Joe and Joshua shook hands. 'Have you caught anyone?' Joe asked.  
  
'No...not yet, I'm afraid, but don't worry. Where ever they are, they can't get far, I assure you' Joshua said.  
  
'I wouldn't count on it' Joe thought and tried very hard not to smile.  
  
-----------------------------------------  
  
It was dark outside.  
  
Nancy came running towards Frank. 'Frank, baby are you ok?!' She squeezed him but moaned when it hurt her rib. 'And Joe...?'  
  
'I know everything' Frank whispered to her.  
  
Nancy nodded and tried to smile to Joe but he didn't repay her smile.  
  
'Where is Julia and the other people?' she asked.  
  
Frank shrugged. 'I don't know but they've made it past the police.'  
  
'Good' Nancy said, 'I don't think Julia Walker should go to jail...I probably would try to revenge if my dad was killed...'  
  
'Yeah...me too.'  
  
'This is called the Stockholm syndrome, I think' Chet said in a low voice with a grin on his face.  
  
Frank looked at his brother. Joe wasn't looking happy and it was breaking to see how sad he seemed.  
  
All of a sudden Frank heard a cell phone ringing. It took him a moment to understand that it came from his own pocket.  
  
'Strange' he thought and pulled up the cell phone, 'This isn't my ringing tone.' Then he realized that it was his father's phone. He hadn't given it back when he called Jack earlier that day.  
  
'Hello?'  
  
-'Frank?'  
  
-'Dad?'  
  
-'So that's where I left my cell phone. How's going?'  
  
-'We're done. We found Joe and Tony. Julia and some other people escaped.'  
  
-'Well, if your brother is safe then nothing else matters. Now, hurry home.'  
  
-'Yes, sir.'  
  
-'Do not call me that!'  
  
-'Sorry dad. See ya!'  
  
-'Bye, bye.'  
  
--------------------------------------------------- 


	28. Back home

Chapter 28: Back home  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
Frank watched through the mirrorglass where his father and chief Collig were talking to a rather young woman with dark brown curly hair and roundish face wearing a lot of make-up. She was the daughter of the idiot who messed up Joe's mind. He was worried. Would his brother hate him for the rest of their lives? Frank couldn't bear that.  
  
At home Laura and Gertrude Hardy were whistling in front of the cookstove,preparing a great meal to celebrate Joe's return.  
  
Joe himself was lying on his bed in his room, thinking. Something was wrong, he knew that but he couldn't figure out what. Why did he feel this burning anger that sometimes even touched on hate when he looked at his older brother? And he who had been nothing but kind and caring for him. That could be it. Joe wanted to take care of himself.  
  
'Joe, stop being so stupid' he ordered to himself. 'That's it, you're going insane. So what? You're insane already...and look, you're talking to yourself. Shut up!'  
  
Joe grasped his head. He reached out for a glass of hypnotic on the drawer beside the bed. He hesitated. Julia stopped him from taking those pills once and he felt good then...He put the glass back on the drawer. He heard his mother call him.  
  
-----------------------------------------------  
  
'So what did she say?' Frank asked his dad on their way out of the police station.  
  
'She said that her father had been working on some sort of mind control device' Fenton answered.  
  
'Mind control?' Frank stared at Fenton.  
  
'I know. It's crazy, but she mentioned a electroshock treatment that blunts the mind and some hypnotic chemical that can maintain this blunt and if the victim, shall we say, is willing to, he or she concentrates on special memories that in process of time comes to control the thoughts.  
  
Frank shook his head and slid into the car. 'What a bullshit!'  
  
Fenton looked at him before starting the car. 'Is it? Remember the electroshock Joe had there. He didn't need more. And remember that hypnotic that he wanted because he couldn't sleep and the way he seems to hate you?'  
  
'So you're saying that Joe only has the bad memories of me, when we fight and things like that?' Frank asked shocked.  
  
-'Something like that but he also misunderstands reality.'  
  
-'How so?'  
  
-'If you'd offer him help out of your kindness with something he can do alone he might take it as you thought you were better than him, or it could seem to him that you sometimes get more credit for equally worked job, you get it?'  
  
'But I don't' Frank said.  
  
'I know but he thinks so, so we must clean him of that drug he's been taking and he'll slowly come around...I hope' Fenton said and pulled up in the Hardyhouse driveway. 'Your mom probably has dinner ready by now.'  
  
-'Yummy!'  
  
--------------------------------------------------  
  
While dining Joe constantly looked under the table where he kept his cell phone in his lap.  
  
Frank leaned to the side. 'Joe, she's not going to call so soon, it's only been a few hours since yesterday. Be patient' he whispered.  
  
Joe glanced at him. Frank smiled. Then Joe nodded and put the phone into his pocket.  
  
Frank turned back to his meal. Nancy who was sitting on his other side smiled lovingly to him. After a minute he felt some prod in his flank.  
  
'Hey bro...thanks, for everthing, you know being there and believe and...all that...' he heard whispered. At that moment Frank could have sworn there were tears in his eyes.  
  
'You ought to thank Tony, not me' he whispered back.  
  
-'Yeah, I will' Joe raised his voice. 'And thanks to all of you.'  
  
'That's what families are for' Gertrude said and shrugged. 'More steak, anyone?'  
  
Everybody accepted another piece of the wonderful steak that the sisters-in-law had worked hard on cooking the past hours.  
  
'Won't we do some research on this underground place by the river?' Nancy asked when they were all in the livingroom, ignoring Joe's significant frown.  
  
'Of course' Fenton answered.  
  
'We can start tomorrow' Frank commented and gave Joe a glance.  
  
'It was a hideout for Walker and Jennings illegal weapon transport. They first sent the weapons there for check-up and then to a submarine by the coast of Bayport' Joe said quietly.  
  
Everyone stared at Joe.  
  
Fenton cleared his throat. 'Well, then that's solved.'  
  
Joe stretched his lips into something similar to a smile.  
  
'I can't let Nancy's eagerness make damage to her more than it already has' he said with a sudden glint of the old him.  
  
'Eagerness?! I just asked' Nancy said and gave a short laugh.  
  
'She's too a sleuth, remember' Laura reminded and smiled.  
  
'Yeah, a sleuth with a broken rib' Frank said and put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
'Excuse me' Joe said and stood up then headed upstairs to his room.  
  
'He's making progress' Fenton said after he heard the door close.  
  
Frank nodded. 'And he's doing it on his own.' He leaned back and sighed happily. 'Man, I haven't felt so good in ages.'  
  
'Have you talked to your father, dear?' Gertrude asked Nancy and looked at her over the edge of her glasses.  
  
'Of course, I called him before dinner' Nancy answered.  
  
'Good, good' Gertrude muttered. 'Handsome man, your father' she muttered even lower.  
  
Fenton spat his drink back to the glass. 'What were you saying, sister?'  
  
She watched him innocently. 'What?'  
  
'Excuse me too' Frank said and pulled carefully away from Nancy.  
  
He went upstairs to his brother's room. As he got closer Joe's voice became clearer.  
  
'...We're done anyway...-I know, sweetie, yeah, I'm not continuing this either...-well, ok, the thing is I didn't tell my parents, they would flip if I did. No, no, Frank and Tony will be quiet, aha, Nancy too...Hey, um...there's something I have to tell you...if you're standing, sit. The police didn't catch Luise...she shot herself in the head...I'm sorry, baby. -so, maybe we'll be seeing around...-Yes, I will, ok, honey. Take care...- Love you too, bye.'  
  
The next thing Frank knew was looking in the eyes of his brother.  
  
'Oh' Joe just said.  
  
Frank cleared his throat. 'I...um...thought I'd go check on you.'  
  
'I'm fine' Joe said.  
  
Frank took a step closer. 'So...can I come in?'  
  
Joe squinted for a few seconds then started to laugh. 'Sure!' He moved away from the door.  
  
Frank closed the door behind him as Joe jumped back onto his bed.  
  
'What's up?'  
  
-'Julia called.'  
  
-'I heard.'  
  
-'She asked me to send you her regards and kick you in the butt.' Joe grinned. 'I'll skip kicking you though.'  
  
Frank gave the dustbin a glance and he thought he saw a pillglass in it. He also smiled.  
  
There was a long uncomfortable silence.  
  
'Are you not going to say anything to mom and dad, Joe...'  
  
-'No. What could I tell them, anyway. Hey, mom, dad, I'm a psycho and a criminal and just tried to...' Joe broke of and looked away. 'Can't it just be our little secret?'  
  
Frank nodded. 'Joe, there is something I need to know. Sarah Cline...did you...kill her?'  
  
---------------------------------------------- 


	29. The real beginning

chapter 29: The real beginning  
  
--------------------------------------------------- (Flashback) ---------------------------------------------------  
  
Joe made his way through the crowd to the bar where he sat down.  
  
'Hi, have we met before?' Joe asked the pretty girl sitting beside him.  
  
-'I'm not sure, have we?' the girl asked in the same flirting tone as Joe.  
  
He wasn't sure weather she really couldn't remember him or if she was playing with him or perhaps just too drunk to remember anything.  
  
They smiled at each other. The music was very loud in there, in the most popular nightclub in Bayport: the Nightlife fan club.  
  
'Tony! A drink here, please!' Joe shouted at his friend who was working there.  
  
Tony Prito came to him and they gave each other a meaningful gaze. 'Well, well. You got over Vanessa so soon? The same..?'  
  
'..As usually and my friend here wants...?' Joe turned to the black-haired, long legged girl.  
  
'Just the same as you, thanks' she said.  
  
Tony poured a drink from a bottle into two glasses. 'There you go'.  
  
'Friend of yours?' the girl asked. Joe nodded. ' Yeah. We haven't been introduced yet' he said.  
  
'I know who you are' she said, 'You're Joe Hardy, right?' Joe nodded again. Ok, she wasn't completely drunk as a lord.  
  
'You know, you kinda remind me of my last girlfriend' he said and looked down on her body. She did have similar shape as Vanessa had but that was it.  
  
The girl laughed 'Oh, that's attractive' So she wasn't offended.  
  
-'Was that a wrong thing to say?'  
  
-'Sort of, yeah'  
  
-'I'm sorry, we just broke up, it hurts' Joe bit his tounge, why was he telling her that, 'But not much' he added.  
  
The girl smiled and moved closer to him 'Maybe I can comfort you in some way...'  
  
Joe grinned. 'Well, that worked' he thought. She was quite easily bought.  
  
Tony passed a key over the table. Joe took it and shoved the girl before him upstairs. They started a wild make out by the door. Suddenly it opened and an arm grasped the girl and pulled her into the room. She screamed but Joe silenced her by putting a hand over her mouth. Another hand took over and Joe locked the door.  
  
'Well, then, Sarah, I hope you had fun tonight' he said to the angry and terrified girl.  
  
'So do I, 'cause it was your last fun' Julia whispered into her ear.  
  
Joe pulled Sarah into a 'hug' and held her arms firmly together.  
  
She growled and tried to kick him and scratch, bite and punch.  
  
No...no! Leave me alone! Stop!'  
  
'I-think...not' Julia said and clenched her hands around her neck.  
  
Joe turned her around so he wouldn't have to face the dying teenage girl. She gave a guttural sound, her eyes spun and finally closed.  
  
Julia let go. They both took deep breaths.  
  
The door opened from outside. Joe turned around to see Tony standing there looking nervously at the body. 'Is...is it over?'  
  
'Oh, nope. We're just beginning' Julia said with withering voice.  
  
'Ok, let's get her out of here' Joe said.  
  
'How?' Tony asked.  
  
------------------  
  
Randy Cline sipped his bear and popped his head to the beat of the song. His sister was nowhere to be seen and he was getting a little restless. He saw her friend close by.  
  
'Hey, have you seen Sarah?'  
  
The guy turned around, he was hardly standing, having a great problem of speaking and his eyes were cloudy.  
  
'She...' he said and gestured with his bottle to the stairs. 'She went there with some guy...'  
  
Randy felt a bit of jealousy swell up.  
  
He stood up and saw a woman and two men come with his sister down stairs. The blond headed man was carrying Sarah. He followed them to the ladies toilets and waited outside until the three came back out without Sarah. Randy avoided looking at them. When Sarah didn't exit after ten minutes Randy went inside. What a mess. There were two girls in there and they looked surprised at him but didn't say anything. He looked into one of the toilet booths and saw the back of some girl when she moved away he saw his sister sitting there with closed eyes, leaning abnormally to the wall.  
  
'What's wrong with her?' he asked the girl who had been with her.  
  
'Oh, she probably passed out' she said.  
  
Randy stroke his sisters cheek. Something wasn't right. He took her face in his palms. His fingers gently caressed her neck and he noticed a red mark on it...there was no pulse. How could that be? He tried her wrist. Nothing. Randy became frightened. 'Why isn't she breathing?' the thought resounded in hi s head. 'Sarah!?' He shook her desperately but when he let go she just collapsed to the floor.  
  
'Oh, my god, oh my god, this can't be happening, can't be happening...' At last he came to senses and pulled up his cell phone and called the police and an ambulance.  
  
--------------------------------------------- (end of flashback)  
  
'No, I didn't kill anyone, not...exactly' Joe answered.  
  
Frank took a deep breathe of relieve.  
  
'But that doesn't make me any better' his brother continued. 'I'm just as guilty as them, killers or not killers...still, me and Tony are the only one who are being protected. Julia and our gang are not as lucky as we are, they're going to have to save themselves...' Joe thought this outloud.  
  
'Well, that's how it goes. Not everyone can have a caring family' Frank said.  
  
-'I guess not.'  
  
-'Well, I should go back down, are you coming?'  
  
Joe shook his head. 'No, thanks. I'm just gonna stay here and chill.'  
  
Frank nodded and opened the door and went out of the room.  
  
'A little secret' he mumbled. For now, at least, he thought.  
  
--------------------------------------------------- 


	30. The End

chapter 30: The end.  
  
------------------------------------------------------  
  
It was two months later, that Joe sat by the bar in the Nightlifefanclub along with all his friends. Once and a while he drank from his colacan. Frank and Nancy were trying to have a conversation but the noise of the techno music was as loud as before and didn't give them much of a chance to it. Tony was doing his job on serving his guests but between business he went over to Joe and they chatted as lowly as possible, which wasn't that low. Callie and Biff were somewhere on the floor or upstairs or somewhere else, nobody knew where and Chet was enjoying his company: two ladies, can of cola and a large bag of potatochips.  
  
'Have you heard anything?' Tony asked.  
  
'Nothing at all' Joe answered. 'She'd call if any of them were caught.'  
  
'Exactly, so that must mean she's fine' Tony said back.  
  
'But what if she left country' Joe wondered.  
  
'She definitely would have let you know if she would have done that' Tony assured.  
  
'Yeah, besides, it's probably not too easy to leave when you're being searched for all over' Joe said relieved.  
  
'Exactly' Tony said. They both noticed a woman taking a seat a few seats away from them. 'Well, gotta go to work' Tony said and stretched himself. He went to the woman with a glass. 'What can I get...-' Tony stopped in the middle of the sentence and dropped the glass. He cleared his throat, embarrassed and bent down to pick up the pieces. 'So what can I get you?' he repeated when he was done.  
  
'A light bear, thank you' she said.  
  
Joe stiffened. He looked to the side. Tony poured the bear from a can to a glass and handed the woman. She had blond hair, pretty face, well make-uped, and was wearing a low-necked blouse and a skirt and boots made of leather. Joe studied her in details. The seat next to her was empty and Joe moved to her.  
  
'Hi, have we met before' he asked teasingly.  
  
The woman looked at him. 'Could it be?' she said and smiled.  
  
Joe also smiled, he knew those eyes very well. He reached out for a lock of her hair.  
  
'This is weird' he said. He held a brown curly lock but not a blond one like the rest of the hair.  
  
She pulled the blond hair off her head and more of the brown curly locks fell down over her shoulders. 'Better?' she asked and blinked Tony who grinned back.  
  
'Much better' Joe agreed and took her hand. He stood up an pulled her with him.  
  
'You want this?' Tony asked and handed his friend a key.  
  
Frank smiled happily at Nancy and kissed her forehead. He looked up and saw his younger brother disappear in the crowd with a girl. He shook his head and finished his drink. He threw a goodbye at his friends and he and Nancy prepared to leave. They were halfway through the crowd when the song finished and before the next began a girl screamed somewhere, so loud that everyone were startled and looked to the direction where the scream came from. Frank's stomach tightened.  
  
------------------------------------------ 


	31. The end of the end

Chapter 31: The end of the end  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
A girl, probably about 17 – 19 years old came rushing down the stairs. She was obviously not happy.  
  
'...can't believe this! Are you crazy! How could you! You stupid asshole! I told you to buy condoms. Have you got any idea of how many venereal diseases there are...and on the top of that I could get pregnant but oh, no! You don't think of that, do you?! You guys are all the same...!' the girl stopped and stared in front of her and everybody stared back at her. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it back and her face went rosy in great embarrassment. The guy behind her, probably on her age, was already as red as Santa's suit in his face. He cleared his throat.  
  
'Well, you heard her, everybody, don't be stupid assholes like me' he said and swallowed.  
  
And every single person in the Fanclub burst into laughing and some people whistled and clapped.  
  
Frank sighed in relief. 'Let's go, Nancy' he said and pulled her closer and led her out.  
  
In one corner of the hall Joe and Julia were tearing in their laughter.  
  
'Oh, poor, poor people!' Julia giggled.  
  
'I know' Joe said and wiped his wet cheek.  
  
They stopped laughing but kept smiling. Julia stroke a lock of hair away from his forehead.  
  
'Oh' she sighed exhausted from laughing. They looked at each other in the eyes. Joe embraced her. 'What are we gonna do now?' she asked.  
  
Joe shrugged. 'I don't know...but let's stay on the good side from now on.'  
  
------------------------------------------- Please review and tell me what you think (and those of you who don't like the story, do not hesitate saying so:)  
  
Well, that was the end (of the end) and I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to all who reviewed, specially to katiejanewy, thank you so much for reading!!! Byebye!!!  
  
Ragna ICE(land). 


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